NASA Scatterometert provides global ocean-surface wind fields with more structures than numerical weather prediction

by Liu W.T., W.Tang and P.S. Polito.

Geophys. Res. Lett., Vol 25, No. 6, 761-764, 1998.

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The above figure shows the differences between monthly averaged zonal (east-west) components of ocean surface wind derived from the spaceborne NASA Scatterometer (NSCAT) and produced by the numerical weather prediction model of the European Center for Medium Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), for October 1996, December 1996, March 1997 and June 1997, representing the four seasons. The major differences are found in coastal and equatorial regions, where the sharp changes in wind direction caused by land mass and Coriolis force are smoothed over in ECMWF products; the wind differences are explained to be the result of the superior spatial resolution of NSCAT winds. The differences could have a significant influence on the response of numerical ocean circulation models forced by the two wind products, in these regions of ocean-upwelling and rich nutrient.