Observations of Oceanic Surface-Wind Fields from the Nimbus-7 Microwave Radiometer

Brightness temperatures from the fiIve-frequency (6.6, 10.7, 18, 21, and 37 GHz) dual-polarized scanning multichannel microwave radiometer (SMMR) on Nimbus 7 have been used to obtain surface wind fields over the ocean. The sateilite-derived wind field for 1200Z, February 19, 1979, in the eastern North Pacific has been compared with an operationally generated surface-wind analysis field. Previous point comparisons at selected locations have indicated that satellite winds are accurate to 3 ms-1. The results here, although of a preliminary nature, indicate that SMMR-derived winds may be used to determine large-scale wind fields over the ocean, particularly in areas of strong wind gradients such as found in cyclonic systems.