Global Wind Fieldswith the ERS Scatterometer

Abderrahim BENTAMY		IFREMER,BP70,29280 PLOZANE, FRANCE E-mail address: Abderrahim.Bentamy@ifremer.fr http://www.ifremer.fr/cersat
Nicolas GRIMA		IFREMER,BP70,29280 PLOZANE, FRANCE E-mail address: Nicolas.Grima@ifremer.fr http://www.ifremer.fr
Valérie HARSCOAT		IFREMER,BP70,29280 PLOZANE, FRANCE E-mail address: Valerie.Harscoat@ifremer.fr http://www.ifremer.fr/cersat
Christophe MARONI		IFREMER,BP70,29280 PLOZANE, FRANCE E-mail address: Christophe.Maroni@ifremer.fr http://www.ifremer.fr/cersat
Sylvie POULIQUEN		IFREMER,BP70,29280 PLOZANE, FRANCE E-mail address: Sylvie.Pouliquen@ifremer.fr http://www.ifremer.fr/cersat
Yves QUILFEN		IFREMER,BP70,29280 PLOZANE, FRANCE E-mail address: Yves Quilfen@ifremer.fr http://www.ifremer.fr

Abstract

The European Remote Sensing Satellites (ERS 1 and 2) contribute towards the improvement of the present knowledge of the global wind field. To date, the only long series of the surface wind vector (1991 - 1996) derived from satellite sensors are achieved from the ERS scatterometers. The nature of these surface winds allow evaluation of a new 1 spatial resolution global ocean surface wind parameters. Weekly and monthly wind fields are calculated.

The probability distribution of wind over the world oceans is studied using the Weibull distribution. The seasonal and latitudinal variation are described. The accuracy of the resultant surface wind parameters is evaluated by comparison with buoys wind measurements.

The new wind fields are compared to the meteorological analysis provided by ECMWF or to the published climatologies such as the Hellerman and Rosentein one. Annual and seasonal mean climatologies of wind stress, calculated from scatterometer data using the smith drag coefficient formulation, wind stress curl and sverdrup will be presented. The large and small scales features of the wind will be discussed.

Keywords: Atlas, Climatology, Variability (max. 6)

Keywords: ESA European Space Agency - Agence spatiale europeenne, observation de la terre, earth observation, satellite remote sensing, teledetection, geophysique, altimetrie, radar, chimique atmospherique, geophysics, altimetry, radar, atmospheric chemistry