Satellite Measurements Reveal Persistent Small-Scale Features in Ocean Winds
Top Cited Papers
- 13 February 2004
- journal article
- research article
- Published by American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Science
- Vol. 303 (5660) , 978-983
- https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1091901
Abstract
Four-year averages of 25-kilometer-resolution measurements of near-surface wind speed and direction over the global ocean from the QuikSCAT satellite radar scatterometer reveal the existence of surprisingly persistent small-scale features in the dynamically and thermodynamically important curl and divergence of the wind stress. Air-sea interaction over sea surface temperature fronts throughout the world ocean is evident in both the curl and divergence fields, as are the influences of islands and coastal mountains. Ocean currents such as the Gulf Stream generate distinctive patterns in the curl field. These previously unresolved features have important implications for oceanographic and air-sea interaction research.Keywords
This publication has 30 references indexed in Scilit:
- Deep convection in the Irminger Sea forced by the Greenland tip jetNature, 2003
- Ocean currents evident in satellite wind dataGeophysical Research Letters, 2001
- Sampling Errors in Wind Fields Constructed from Single and Tandem Scatterometer DatasetsJournal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology, 2001
- Local and remote atmospheric response to tropical instability waves: A global view from spaceJournal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 2001
- Warm core ring velocities inferred from NSCATGeophysical Research Letters, 2001
- Satellite observations of upwelling on the continental shelf south of MadagascarGeophysical Research Letters, 2000
- The accuracy of the NSCAT 1 vector winds: Comparisons with National Data Buoy Center buoysJournal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 1999
- Coupled ocean‐atmospheric waves on the equatorial frontGeophysical Research Letters, 1998
- Effect of Equatorial Currents on Surface StressJournal of Physical Oceanography, 1987
- On the dynamics of the California Current systemJournal of Marine Research, 1987