ESDS Program

A Cross-Calibrated Multi-Platform Ocean Surface Wind Velocity Data Set for Meteorological and Oceanographic Applications

Principal Investigator (PI): Robert Atlas, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

This proposal is in response to the NASA Earth Science Enterprise (ESE) Cooperative Agreement Notice, Making Earth System Data Records for Use in Research Environments (MEaSUREs) (formerly Research, Education and Applications Solutions Network (REASoN)). Under the REASoN solicitation, a cross-calibrated multi-platform ocean surface wind data set was created using a variational analysis to combine wind measurements derived from QuikSCAT, SeaWinds, Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer-EOS (AMSR-E), Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Microwave Imager (TMI) and Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSM/I). 

By combining these measurements, a consistent data record of high resolution (25km) ocean surface winds will be available from 1987 to 2007 with far reaching applications in meteorology and oceanography. Under MEaSUREs, we propose to continue this record through 2012 incorporating data from current and future missions such as WindSat, Advanced Scatterometer (ASCAT), Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) SSM/I (F16-F20), Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Microwave Imager (GMI) and Global Change Observation Mission - Water "Shizuku" (GCOM-W) (Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 2 (AMSR2)).

Upon completion, a consistent 25-year (1987-2012) climate record of ocean surface winds that includes all NASA and NOAA assets will be available for atmospheric and oceanic research and for improved weather and short-term climate prediction. This will be the culmination of extensive research and development under the Pathfinder and REASoN programs.

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