Applications of Synthetic Aperture Radar to Meteorology and Oceanography Command Operations
Abstract
Our long-term goal is to employ near-surface wind speed, derived from synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images of the sea surface, as a marine meteorological research and forecasting tool. That is, we aim to use SAR-derived wind speed (SDWS) images to discover dynamical and morphological characteristics of microscale, mesoscale, and synoptic scale marine meteorological phenomena. We also aim to demonstrate how the fruits of our discovery can be used to aid marine meteorological analysts and forecasters. To support those goals our objectives are 1) Develop software tools for portable, automated analysis of SDWS images with the objective of resolving intense mesoscale variability within those images. 2) Develop a SDWS-based system for automated verification of, and error-warning for, mesoscale near-surface wind field forecasts produced by numerical weather prediction (NWP) models. 3) Empirically and theoretically investigate the SDWS-signature of convectively-driven squall / lull couplets. The analysis includes the forcing, structure, and predictability of these intense mesoscale variations in the near-surface wind speed field. The goal is to make incremental gains towards improved NWP model and statistical forecasts of this phenomenon.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 30, 2011
- Accession Number
- ADA557183
Entities
People
- George S. Young
- Nathanial S. Winstead
- Todd D. Sikora