|
Back to NRT page
WindSat is the primary payload of the Coriolis satellite which was launched on
6 January 2003.
WindSat, the first space-borne multifrequency polarimetric microwave radiometer,
has been developed by the US Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) to demonstrate that
ocean surface wind vectors can be derived from space using a passive instrument.
The resolution of the winds is defined by the lowest frequency channel.
Although not a scatterometer, it is useful for monitoring purposes to treat it
as such due to the ambiguity present in the wind vectors.
WindSat data has been assimilated in the Met Office global model since 25
November 2008 and the NAE since 2 November 2010.
WindSat
Environmental Data Record (EDR) files containing the retrieved wind vectors and
associated quality flags are received at the Met Office from NRL.
These are then processed in-house to produce a level 2 BUFR product.
For more information on how WindSat is used at the Met Office (including the
version number of the EDRs) see the
NWP
pages.
|
Coriolis satellite. Credit: U.S. Navy.
|
