Oceansat-2 Scatterometer (OSCAT) Wind Fields Over the Global Oceans

• Published in: National Academy of Sciences, India. Proceedings. Section A. Physical Sciences India. Proceedings. Section A. Physical Sciences, 2017-12, Vol.87 (4), p.797-806
• Main Authors: Jayaram, Chiranjivi, Udaya Bhaskar, T. V. S., Swain, Debadatta, Bansal, Saurabh
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied and Technical Physics; Atomic; Bias; Buoys; Data analysis; Molecular; Ocean basins; Oceans; Optical and Plasma Physics; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Quantum Physics; Research Article; Wind speed
• ISSN: 0369-8203; 2250-1762
• DOI: 10.1007/s40010-017-0449-3

Global 2-day mean wind fields of Oceansat-2 scatterometer (OSCAT) were generated using variational data analysis method for the period 2010–2013. The resultant OSCAT gridded wind data with a resolution of 0.5° × 0.5° was validated using in situ observations from buoys and Advanced Scatterometer (ASCAT) for different global ocean basins and wind speed ranges. Globally, a bias of − 0.5 ms −1 for u and 0.1 ms −1 for v and root mean square difference (RMSD) of 1.95 ms −1 for u and 1.7 ms −1 for v was observed. Inter-comparison in different oceanic basins revealed that the gridded OSCAT data is in concurrence with in situ measurements. Inter-comparison between OSCAT and ASCAT for different seasons showed a correlation greater than 0.75, bias in the range of − 1 to 1 ms −1 and RMSD less than 2.5 ms −1 ; for both u and v wind components on a global scale. The resultant OSCAT gridded winds can be used to generate value added products like wind stress and curl for the global oceans.