New Multiplatform Ocean Surface Wind Product Available

Abstract

A new cross‐calibrated, multiplatform (CCMP) ocean surface wind product with wide‐ranging research applications in meteorology and oceanography became available at the Physical Oceanography Distributed Active Archive Center (PO.DACC) in May 2009. Data sets at three different levels of processing may be downloaded from http://podaac.jpl.nasa.gov/DATA_CATALOG/ccmpinfo.html. The principal data set, denoted as level 3.0, has global ocean coverage (except for the Arctic Ocean) with 25‐kilometer resolution every 6 hours for more than 20 years, beginning in July 1987.Applying an enhanced variational analysis method (VAM) to multiple input data sources creates the level 3.0 data set. The VAM performs quality control and optimally combines wind observations from several individual satellite microwave radiometer and scatterometer sensors along with available conventional ship and buoy wind observations and European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) analyses.