Statistical Characteristics of the Global Surface Current Speeds Obtained from Satellite Altimetry and Scatterometer Data

Abstract

Near-real time ocean surface currents derived from satellite altimeter (JASON-1, GFO, ENVISAT) and scatterometer (QSCAT) data on 1 degree 1 degree resolution for world oceans (60 degrees S to 60 degrees N) are available online as Ocean Surface Current Analyses Real Time (OSCAR) . The probability distribution function (PDF) of the current speeds (w), constructed from global OSCAR data from 1992 to 2008, satisfies the two-parameter Weibull distribution reasonably well, and such a PDF has little seasonal and interannual variations. Knowledge on PDF of w will improve the ensemble horizontal flux calculation, which contributes to the climate studies.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 2008
Accession Number
ADA488394

Entities

People

  • Peter Cheng Chu

Organizations

  • Naval Postgraduate School

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Altimetry
  • Artificial Satellites
  • Boundaries
  • Differential Equations
  • Distribution Functions
  • Equations
  • Fokker Planck Equations
  • Grids
  • Oceans
  • Partial Differential Equations
  • Pressure Gradients
  • Probability
  • Probability Distribution Functions
  • Probability Distributions
  • Scatterometers
  • Underwater Acoustics
  • Wind Stress

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Ocean-Atmosphere Mesoscale Modeling, Data Assimilation, and Flux Boundary Layers
  • Oceanography.
  • Statistical inference.

Technology Areas

  • Space