Gulf stream thermal fronts detected by synthetic aperture radar

Our objective is to detect ocean surface features, specifically oceanic thermal fronts, through analysis of SAR (synthetic aperture radar)-derived wind stress fields. Fine-resolution measurements of near-surface wind speeds over the Gulf Stream region of the Northwest Atlantic were made using SAR images collected by RADARSAT-2. Linear statistical relationships between the wind stress curl and divergence to the crosswind and downwind components of the sea surface temperature (SST) gradient field were used to derive a new method for detecting Gulf Stream thermal fronts from Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery. In particular, sea surface temperature front features, as suggested by corresponding AVHRR and MODIS images, are evident in both of the wind stress curl and divergence fields.