Boundary-Layer Meteorology

, Volume 13, Issue 1–4, pp 151–163 | Cite as

On the relationship of radar backscatter to wind speed and fetch

  • Duncan Ross
  • W. Linwood Jones
Article
Received:

Abstract

The physics of the interaction of electromagnetic waves with the ocean surface has been an active area of research for a number of years. We present here the results of satellite and aircraft experiments to investigate the ability of active microwave radars to infer surface wind speeds remotely. Data obtained from the recent National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Skylab experiment are compared with surface wind speeds measured by low-flying aircraft and ships-of-opportunity and found to give useful estimates of the oceanic wind field. We also investigate the influence of varying wave height on radar measurements of wind speed by measuring the backscattering cross-section for constant wind speed but variable wave conditions. We conclude that this effect is of little importance.

Keywords

Wind Speed Radar Wave Height Wind Field National Aeronautic 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Copyright information

© D. Reidel Publishing Company 1978

Authors and Affiliations

  • Duncan Ross
    • 1
  • W. Linwood Jones
    • 2
  1. 1.Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratories, Sea-Air Interaction LaboratoryNational Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationMiamiUSA
  2. 2.Langley Research CenterNational Aeronautics and Space AdministrationHamptonUSA

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