Detection of diurnal cycle of ocean surface wind from space-based observations

Abstract

We derive the diurnal cycle of ocean surface vector wind from three contemporary space-based wind sensors: OSCAT, WindSAT, and ASCAT, assuming the diurnal signal is embedded in the deviation from the daily mean as measured by ascending and descending passes of each sensor. A Monte Carlo simulation technique is used to estimate uncertainties. Strong diurnal signals are found in coastal regions and tropical oceans. Their geographical and seasonal variations are described.

Acknowledgement

The work described in this paper was carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.