Wind direction retrieval from rain-contaminated X-band nautical radar images

In this paper, an algorithm for retrieving wind direction from rain-contaminated radar images collected under low wind speed conditions is presented. The algorithm investigates radar backscatter in the wavenumber domain and determines wind directions based on spectral components with wavenumbers of [0.01, 0.2]. The algorithm has been tested using rain-contaminated X-band marine radar images and shipborne anemometer data collected on the east coast of Canada. Comparison with the anemometer data shows the root mean square error of wind direction retrieved from rain-contaminated images collected under low wind speeds is reduced by 25.2°.