Analysis of SEASAT wind observations over the Indian Ocean

Abstract

Surface winds as observed by the SEASAT-A satellite over the Indian Ocean for the period July 15–17, 1978 are analyzed. The purposes of the analysis are: (1) to evaluate the accuracy of the SEASAT wind measurements by comparing these measurements with ship observations and (2) to determine the improvement introduced to the description of the synoptic-scale wind field at the surface by adding SEASAT data to ship and island wind observations. The results of our study indicate that: (1) on the synoptic scale, the accuracy of SEASAT-derived winds is comparable to that of conventional surface observations and (2) a significant improvement in the surface wind analysis is achieved by incorporating SEASAT wind information, especially in data sparse areas. DOI: 10.1111/j.2153-3490.1981.tb01772.x