HR: 1330h
AN: OS42A-0826 [PDF]
TI: Development and Validation of Ocean Surface Wind Derived from the TRMM Precipitation Radar
Measurements
AU: * Li, L
EM: li.li@jpl.nasa.gov
AF: Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Mail Stop: 300-243
4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109-8099 United States
AU: Im, E
EM: eastwood.im@jpl.nasa.gov
AF: Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Mail Stop: 300-243
4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109-8099 United States
AU: Connor, L N
EM: laurence.n.connor@noaa.gov
AF: Office of Research and Applications, NOAA/NESDIS, World Weather Bldg Rm 102 MS E/RA3, Camp Springs, MD
20746 United States
AU: Chang, P S
EM: paul.s.chang@noaa.gov
AF: Office of Research and Applications, NOAA/NESDIS, World Weather Bldg Rm 102 MS E/RA3, Camp Springs, MD
20746 United States
AB:
Spaceborne scatterometery has been used for several years now to retrieve the ocean surface wind field based on measurements
of the normalized radar cross section at the Earth's surface level. Though designed specifically for the measurement of
precipitation profiles in the atmosphere, the Precipitation Radar (PR) of the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) also
acquires surface backscattering measurements over global ocean. As such, this instrument provides an interesting opportunity
to explore the benefits and pitfalls of alternative radar configurations in the satellite remote sensing of ocean winds. In
this paper, a technique was developed for retrieving ocean surface winds using surface backscattering measurements from the
TRMM Precipitation Radar. The wind retrieval algorithm developed for TRMM PR makes use of a maximum likelihood estimation
technique to compensate for the low backscattering associated with the PR configuration. The high vertical resolution of the
PR serves to filter out rain-contaminated cells normally integrated into Ku-band scatterometer measurements. The algorithm
was validated through comparisons of ocean surface wind speeds derived from PR with remotely measured winds from TMI and
QuikSCAT, as well as in-situ observations from oceanographic buoys, revealing good agreements in wind speed estimations.
DE: 4275 Remote sensing and electromagnetic processes (0689)
DE: 4594 Instruments and techniques
DE: 6969 Remote sensing
SC: Ocean Sciences [OS]
MN: 2003 Fall Meeting