Applications QuikSCAT

1 applications

1.1 weather forecasting
1.2 oceanography
1.3 land , sea ice
1.4 climate variability
1.5 tropical cyclones
1.6 wind energy

applications
weather forecasting

many operational numerical weather prediction centers began assimilating quikscat data in 2002, preliminary assessments indicating positive impact. u.s. national centers environmental prediction (ncep) , european centre medium-range weather forecasts (ecmwf) led way initiating assimilation of quikscat winds beginning, respectively, on 13 january 2002 , 22 january 2002. quikscat surface winds important tool analysis , forecasting @ u.s. national hurricane center since becoming available in near–real time in 2000.

quikscat wind fields used tool in analysis , forecasting of extratropical cyclones , maritime weather outside tropics @ u.s. ocean prediction center , u.s. national weather service.

data provided in real-time on of ice-free global oceans, including traditionally data-sparse regions of ocean few observations exist, such in southern ocean , eastern tropical pacific ocean.

quikscat observations provided these operational users in near-real-time (nrt) in binary universal form representation of meteorological data (bufr) format national oceanic , atmospheric administration/national environmental satellite, data, , information service (noaa/nesdis). data latency goal 3 hours, , data available within 3.5 hours of measurement. meet these requirements, quikscat nrt data processing algorithms combine finest-grained backscatter measurements fewer composites science data algorithms. otherwise quikscat nrt processing algorithms identical science data algorithms.

oceanography
land , sea ice

image of antarctica produced seawinds instrument on may 24, 2000


climate variability
tropical cyclones

quikscat image of hurricane katrina on august 28, 2005 on gulf of mexico

applications of quikscat in operational tropical cyclone analysis , forecasting @ national hurricane center include identifying , locating center of tropical cyclones, estimating intensity, , wind radii analysis. scatterometer s ability record wind speeds @ surface allows meteorologists determine whether low pressure area forming , enhance ability predict sudden changes in structure , strength.

the first tropical cyclone captured seawinds instrument typhoon olga in western pacific basin. system monitored satellite generation on july 28 demise in august.

in 2007, bill proenza, head of national hurricane center @ time, stated in public message loss of quikscat satellite harm quality of hurricane forecasts. followed battery anomaly in spacecraft temporarily unable perform nominal science observations due limited power. claimed three-day forecasts 16% less accurate following loss of quikscat. position controversial relied on unpublished data. although satellite aids in forecasting hurricane position , intensity, not exclusively.

wind energy

other uses of data include resource assessment emerging offshore wind energy industry. windscan has taken advantage of satellite data purpose.