Validation of Sea Surface Winds From the Space-Borne Radiometer COWVR
This study aims to validate sea surface wind data derived from the compact ocean wind vector radiometer (COWVR) onboard the International Space Station. The COWVR, a fully polarimetric and two-look microwave radiometer, provides wind direction and speed retrievals in rain-free conditions. Validation...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
IEEE
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10979206/ |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| Summary: | This study aims to validate sea surface wind data derived from the compact ocean wind vector radiometer (COWVR) onboard the International Space Station. The COWVR, a fully polarimetric and two-look microwave radiometer, provides wind direction and speed retrievals in rain-free conditions. Validation was performed by comparing COWVR data with traditional radiometer (AMSR-2, GMI), scatterometer (MetOp/ASCAT, HY-2/SCAT), numerical weather prediction (ERA5), and buoy data. The results show that COWVR wind speed retrievals are comparable to those of AMSR-2 and GMI, with an overall wind speed bias close to zero and a standard deviation of 1.18 m/s when compared to ERA5. The COWVR also demonstrates good accuracy in wind direction retrievals for wind speeds above 8 m/s, with root mean square errors of 12.5° and 15.1° for ERA5 and buoy comparisons, respectively. These findings suggest that COWVR can provide good sea surface wind products. However, the inconsistencies of radiometer and scatteromers sea surface wind speeds are still significant, especially for winds above 15 m/s. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1939-1404 2151-1535 |