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Physical Limitations of Accuracy of Remote Determination of Wind Speed Over the Ocean

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Simulation of the Sea Surface for Remote Sensing

Part of the book series: Springer Oceanography ((SPRINGEROCEAN))

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Abstract

Currently, the only way to obtain information on wind speed over the sea surface is remote sensing from spacecraft. Information is obtained using satellite observational systems: radiophysical—active (radar) and passive (radiometric) and optical—operating in the visible and infrared ranges. The remote determination of wind speed is based on the dependence of the roughness level of the sea surface, which determines the power of the signal reflected from it, on the wind speed. A factor limiting the accuracy of remote determination of wind speed is that the relationship between the level of roughness and wind speed is stochastic. Although the wind is the main physical mechanism determining the topographic structure of the sea surface, there are a number of other mechanisms, such as the current, internal waves, Langmuir circulation, etc. In addition, waves of different lengths have different adjustment times for changing wind conditions, which also reduces accuracy of remote determination of wind speed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Marine Hydrophysical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Sevastopol, Russia

    Alexander Zapevalov

  2. Faculty of Physics, M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia

    Konstantin Pokazeev

  3. Institute for Problems in Mechanics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia

    Tatiana Chaplina

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  1. Alexander Zapevalov
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  2. Konstantin Pokazeev
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  3. Tatiana Chaplina
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Correspondence to Alexander Zapevalov .

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Zapevalov, A., Pokazeev, K., Chaplina, T. (2021). Physical Limitations of Accuracy of Remote Determination of Wind Speed Over the Ocean. In: Simulation of the Sea Surface for Remote Sensing. Springer Oceanography. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-58752-9_10

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