Comparison of ocean surface wind products in the perspective of ocean modeling of the Nordic Seas

High-resolution ocean surface wind velocity data derived from satellite observations are used to analyze winds in the Nordic Seas. For the analysis, a Cross-Calibrated, Multi-Platform (CCMP), multi-instrument ocean surface wind velocity data set is utilized. The ocean surface wind fields are compared with those derived from the National Centers for Environmental Protection/National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP/NCAR) reanalysis. The NCEP/NCAR fields are commonly used to provide atmospheric forcing for Arctic Ocean models. Wind fields with higher spatial and temporal resolution are demonstrated to resolve small-scale, short-lived atmospheric systems that are not represented in the NCEP reanalysis fields. The utility of using high-resolution winds in the ocean modeling is discussed. In particular, air-sea heat fluxes estimated from the two wind data sets are compared.