Satellite Air – Sea Fluxes

Abstract

This chapter addresses the estimation of global surface winds, surface wind stress, latent heat flux, and sensible heat flux over the oceans with high spatial and temporal resolution using satellite radar and radiometer measurements. An overview of the physics of remotely sensed data, of methods and algorithms used to retrieve surface fluxes is provided. The retrievals are used to estimate regular in space and time surface parameters, requested for oceanic forcing function, over global ocean. The characteristics of the former are investigated at global and regional scales.