Ocean wind field mapping from synthetic aperture radar and its application to research and applied problems

APL and the Office of Research and Applications of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have developed a system to use near-real-time satellite synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data from the Radarsat-1 and Envisat satellites to produce high-resolution (subkilometer) maps of the ocean surface wind field in coastal areas. These maps have shown diverse meteorological phenomena, from gap flows to atmospheric roll vortices. In this article, we describe how SAR can measure wind over the ocean surface and then present examples illustrating how such measurements may be applied. The first application is a scientific one in which SAR wind fields are used to understand the dynamics and spatial variability of barrier jets off the west coast of Canada and the southern coast of Alaska. The second application is a practical one in which high-resolution SAR wind maps are used to determine the optimal placement of offshore wind turbines for generating electric power.