scholarly journals Insights on the OAFlux ocean surface vector wind analysis merged from scatterometers and passive microwave radiometers (1987 onward)

2014 ◽  
Vol 119 (8) ◽  
pp. 5244-5269 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisan Yu ◽  
Xiangze Jin
Keyword(s):  
Ocean Surface ◽  
Passive Microwave ◽  
Wind Analysis ◽  
Microwave Radiometers ◽  
Vector Wind

scholarly journals QuikSCAT Impacts on Coastal Forecasts and Warnings: Operational Utility of Satellite Ocean Surface Vector Wind Data

2008 ◽  
Vol 23 (5) ◽  
pp. 878-890 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ralph F. Milliff ◽  
Peter A. Stamus
Keyword(s):  
Survey Design ◽  
Weather Prediction ◽  
Winter Season ◽  
Late Summer ◽  
Weather Forecast ◽  
Ocean Surface ◽  
Site Visit ◽  
Island States ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Vector Wind

Abstract This study reports on the operational utility of ocean surface vector wind (SVW) data from Quick Scatterometer (QuikSCAT) observations in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Weather Service (NWS) Weather Forecast Offices (WFOs) covering the coastal United States, including island states and territories. Thirty-three U.S. coastal WFOs were surveyed, and 16 WFO site visits were conducted, from late summer 2005 to the 2005/06 winter season, in order to quantify the impact of QuikSCAT SVW data on forecasts and warnings, with a particular focus on operations affecting marine users. Details of the survey design and site visit strategies are described. Survey results are quantified and site visit impressions are discussed. Key findings include (i) QuikSCAT data supplement primary datasets and numerical weather prediction fields, in the manual production of local public (weather) and marine forecasts and warnings; (ii) operational utility of satellite SVW data would be enhanced by SVW retrievals of finer temporal resolution, closer to the coasts; and (iii) rain flags in the SVW data have little impact on utility for WFO operations.

scholarly journals Whitecap Observations by Microwave Radiometers: With Discussion on Surface Roughness and Foam Contributions

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (14) ◽  
pp. 2277
Author(s):  
Paul A. Hwang
Keyword(s):  
Surface Roughness ◽  
Dielectric Properties ◽  
Surface Wave ◽  
Wave Breaking ◽  
Microwave Radiometer ◽  
Video Recording ◽  
Ocean Surface ◽  
Optical Observations ◽  
Microwave Signals ◽  
Microwave Radiometers

Ocean surface whitecaps manifest surface wave breaking. Most of the whitecap data reported in the literature are based on optical observations through photographic or video recording. The air in whitecaps modifies the dielectric properties of microwave emissions and scattering. Therefore, whitecap information is intrinsic to microwave signals. This paper discusses a method to retrieve the ocean surface whitecap coverage from microwave radiometer signals.

Spectral linear mixing model applied to data from passive microwave radiometers for sea ice mapping in the Antarctic Peninsula

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-27
Author(s):  
Fernando Luis Hillebrand ◽  
Ulisses Franz Bremer ◽  
Marcos Wellausen Dias de Freitas ◽  
Juliana Costi ◽  
Cláudio Wilson Mendes Júnior ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Antarctic Peninsula ◽  
Mixing Model ◽  
Passive Microwave ◽  
Linear Mixing Model ◽  
Microwave Radiometers ◽  
The Antarctic

scholarly journals The Operational Use of QuikSCAT Ocean Surface Vector Winds at the National Hurricane Center

2009 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 621-645 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. Brennan ◽  
Christopher C. Hennon ◽  
Richard D. Knabb
Keyword(s):  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Ocean Surface ◽  
Wind Data ◽  
High Wind ◽  
Operational Environment ◽  
Wind Events ◽  
The Impact ◽  
National Hurricane Center ◽  
Vector Wind ◽  
Quikscat Winds

Abstract The utility and shortcomings of near-real-time ocean surface vector wind retrievals from the NASA Quick Scatterometer (QuikSCAT) in operational forecast and analysis activities at the National Hurricane Center (NHC) are described. The use of QuikSCAT data in tropical cyclone (TC) analysis and forecasting for center location/identification, intensity (maximum sustained wind) estimation, and analysis of outer wind radii is presented, along with shortcomings of the data due to the effects of rain contamination and wind direction uncertainties. Automated QuikSCAT solutions in TCs often fail to show a closed circulation, and those that do are often biased to the southwest of the NHC best-track position. QuikSCAT winds show the greatest skill in TC intensity estimation in moderate to strong tropical storms. In tropical depressions, a positive bias in QuikSCAT winds is seen due to enhanced backscatter by rain, while in major hurricanes rain attenuation, resolution, and signal saturation result in a large negative bias in QuikSCAT intensity estimates. QuikSCAT wind data help overcome the large surface data void in the analysis and forecast area of NHC’s Tropical Analysis and Forecast Branch (TAFB). These data have resulted in improved analyses of surface features, better definition of high wind areas, and improved forecasts of high-wind events. The development of a climatology of gap wind events in the Gulf of Tehuantepec has been possible due to QuikSCAT wind data in a largely data-void region. The shortcomings of ocean surface vector winds from QuikSCAT in the operational environment at NHC are described, along with requirements for future ocean surface vector wind missions. These include improvements in the timeliness and quality of the data, increasing the wind speed range over which the data are reliable, and decreasing the impact of rain to allow for accurate retrievals in all-weather conditions.

scholarly journals Snow Depth Retrieval on Arctic Sea Ice From Passive Microwave Radiometers—Improvements and Extensions to Multiyear Ice Using Lower Frequencies

2018 ◽  
Vol 123 (10) ◽  
pp. 7120-7138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip Rostosky ◽  
Gunnar Spreen ◽  
Sinead L. Farrell ◽  
Torben Frost ◽  
Georg Heygster ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Snow Depth ◽  
Arctic Sea Ice ◽  
Passive Microwave ◽  
Arctic Sea ◽  
Microwave Radiometers ◽  
Multiyear Ice ◽  
Lower Frequencies

scholarly journals On direct passive microwave remote sensing of sea spray aerosol production

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (21) ◽  
pp. 11611-11631 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. B. Savelyev ◽  
M. D. Anguelova ◽  
G. M. Frick ◽  
D. J. Dowgiallo ◽  
P. A. Hwang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Surface Roughness ◽  
Brightness Temperature ◽  
Microwave Remote Sensing ◽  
Ocean Surface ◽  
Breaking Waves ◽  
Passive Microwave ◽  
Microwave Emission ◽  
Sea Spray ◽  
Sea Spray Aerosol ◽  
Microwave Emissions

Abstract. This study addresses and attempts to mitigate persistent uncertainty and scatter among existing approaches for determining the rate of sea spray aerosol production by breaking waves in the open ocean. The new approach proposed here utilizes passive microwave emissions from the ocean surface, which are known to be sensitive to surface roughness and foam. Direct, simultaneous, and collocated measurements of the aerosol production and microwave emissions were collected aboard the FLoating Instrument Platform (FLIP) in deep water ~ 150 km off the coast of California over a period of ~ 4 days. Vertical profiles of coarse-mode aerosol (0.25–23.5 μm) concentrations were measured with a forward-scattering spectrometer and converted to surface flux using dry deposition and vertical gradient methods. Back-trajectory analysis of eastern North Pacific meteorology verified the clean marine origin of the sampled air mass over at least 5 days prior to measurements. Vertical and horizontal polarization surface brightness temperature were measured with a microwave radiometer at 10.7 GHz frequency. Data analysis revealed a strong sensitivity of the brightness temperature polarization difference to the rate of aerosol production. An existing model of microwave emission from the ocean surface was used to determine the empirical relationship and to attribute its underlying physical basis to microwave emissions from surface roughness and foam within active and passive phases of breaking waves. A possibility of and initial steps towards satellite retrievals of the sea spray aerosol production are briefly discussed in concluding remarks.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document