Advanced Earth Observing Satellite Research Articles

Gabor Descriptor for Representation of Spatial Feature

New spatial feature descriptor based on Gabor wavelet function is proposed. The proposed method is compared to Fourier descriptor. The experimental results with Advanced Earth Observing Satellite: ADEOS / Advanced Visible and Near-Infrared Radiometer: AVNIR image show an effectiveness of the proposed method. It is found that the restored image quality, in terms of root mean square error between the original and the restored images depends on the support length of the mother wavelet and is much better than that with the conventional Fourier descriptor method for spatial feature description.

A METHOD FOR QUALITATIVELY MAPPING THE FLOOD PHYSICAL VULNERABILITY OF RESIDENTIAL AREAS

Mapping flood physical vulnerability is spatially limited because it requires input data such as building structures and materials, which are unavailable on large spatial scales. In this study, we propose a new method for qualitatively evaluating the flood vulnerability of residential areas in the context of the exposure and resilience to flood hazard on large spatial scales. This method utilizes the possible correlations between the structural physical vulnerability and residential types obtained from the statistical classifications of multispectral satellite images. Because multispectral classification is well-established as an inexpensive technique for automatically classifying land cover types over wide areas, our method is feasible and efficient for mapping the physical vulnerability of residential areas. As a case study, we present an application of the proposed approach to the Thach Ha district, Ha Tinh province, Vietnam, using the Japanese type 2 Advanced Visible and Near Infrared Radiometer (AVNIR-2) images and Phased Array type L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (PALSAR) images captured by the Advanced Earth Observing Satellite (ADEOS).

Application of Landsat-8 and ALOS-2 data for structural and landslide hazard mapping in Kelantan, Malaysia

Abstract. Identification of high potential risk and susceptible zones for natural hazards of geological origin is one of the most important applications of advanced remote sensing technology. Yearly, several landslides occur during heavy monsoon rainfall in Kelantan River basin, Peninsular Malaysia. Flooding and subsequent landslide occurrences generated significant damage to livestock, agricultural produce, homes and businesses in the Kelantan River basin. In this study, remote sensing data from the recently launched Landsat-8 and Phased Array type L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar-2 (PALSAR-2) on board the Advanced Land Observing Satellite-2 (ALOS-2) were used to map geologic structural and topographical features in the Kelantan River basin for identification of high potential risk and susceptible zones for landslides and flooding areas. The data were processed for a comprehensive analysis of major geological structures and detailed characterizations of lineaments, drainage patterns and lithology at both regional and district scales. The analytical hierarchy process (AHP) approach was used for landslide susceptibility mapping. Several factors such as slope, aspect, soil, lithology, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), land cover, distance to drainage, precipitation, distance to fault and distance to the road were extracted from remote sensing satellite data and fieldwork to apply the AHP approach. Directional convolution filters were applied to ALOS-2 data for identifying linear features in particular directions and edge enhancement in the spatial domain. Results indicate that lineament occurrence at regional scale was mainly linked to the N–S trending of the Bentong–Raub Suture Zone (BRSZ) in the west and Lebir Fault Zone in the east of the Kelantan state. The combination of different polarization channels produced image maps that contain important information related to water bodies, wetlands and lithological units. The N–S, NE–SW and NNE–SSW lineament trends and dendritic, sub-dendritic and rectangular drainage patterns were detected in the Kelantan River basin. The analysis of field investigation data indicates that many of flooded areas were associated with high potential risk zones for hydrogeological hazards such as wetlands, urban areas, floodplain scroll, meander bend, dendritic and sub-dendritic drainage patterns, which are located in flat topographic regions. Numerous landslide points were located in a rectangular drainage system that is associated with a topographic slope of metamorphic and quaternary rock units. Consequently, structural and topographical geology maps were produced for Kelantan River basin using PALSAR-2 data, which could be broadly applicable for landslide hazard mapping and identification of high potential risk zone for hydrogeological hazards. Geohazard mitigation programs could be conducted in the landslide recurrence regions and flooded areas to reduce natural catastrophes leading to loss of life and financial investments in the Kelantan River basin. In this investigation, Landsat-8 and ALOS-2 have proven to successfully provide advanced Earth observation satellite data for disaster monitoring in tropical environments.

Asymmetric Features of Oceanic Microwave Brightness Temperature in HighSurface Wind Speed Condition

Asymmetric features of oceanic brightness temperature from spaceborne microwave imagers in high surface wind speed conditions were investigated with two kinds of collocated data. The first is simultaneous measurements of microwave brightness temperatures and surface wind vectors from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR) and SeaWinds on Advanced Earth Observing Satellite II. The second is microwave brightness temperature observations (AMSR2 and the Special Sensor Microwave Imager Sounder) and surface wind vectors in the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts numerical weather prediction model. Both collocated data sets showed that the vertical-polarized and the horizontal-polarized microwave brightness temperature have out-of-phase asymmetric features in terms of relative wind direction (RWD) at high surface wind speeds. Furthermore, different asymmetric features were found for the northern and Southern Hemispheres and for ascending and descending satellite orbits. Although similar asymmetric features can be found in other microwave imager studies, the causes of the asymmetry have not been fully investigated. To investigate the cause of the asymmetry, the observation frequency regarding air–sea temperature difference was examined in upwind, downwind, and crosswind cases. Two important factors contribute to the asymmetry. First, the observations from inclined polar orbit satellites provide different samplings on atmospheric stability in terms of the RWD. Second, the oceanic microwave brightness temperatures have negative correlations with atmospheric stability at high surface wind speeds. The out-of-phase asymmetry is closely related with atmospheric stability, and it appears under a high-surface-wind-speed condition.

Revealing the Winds under the Rain. Part I: Passive Microwave Rain Retrievals Using a New Observation-Based Parameterization of Subsatellite Rain Variability and Intensity—Algorithm Description

AbstractScatterometer ocean surface winds have been providing very valuable information to researchers and operational weather forecasters for over 10 years. However, the scatterometer wind retrievals are compromised when rain is present. Merely flagging all rain-affected areas removes the most dynamic and interesting areas from the wind analysis. Fortunately, the Advanced Earth Observing Satellite II (ADEOS-II) mission carried a radiometer [the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR)] and a scatterometer, allowing for independent, collocated retrievals of rain. The authors developed an algorithm that uses AMSR observations to estimate the rain inside the scatterometer beam. This is the first in a series of papers that describe their approach to providing rain estimation and correction to scatterometer observations. This paper describes the retrieval algorithm and evaluates it using simulated data. Part II will present its validation when applied to AMSR observations. This passive microwave rain retrieval algorithm addresses the issues of nonuniform beam filling and hydrometeor uncertainty in a novel way by 1) using a large number of soundings to develop the retrieval database, thus accounting for the geographically varying atmospheric parameters; 2) addressing the spatial inhomogeneity of rain by developing multiple retrieval databases with different built-in inhomogeneity and rain intensity, along with a “rain indicator” to select the most appropriate database for each observed scene; 3) developing a new cloud-versus-rain partitioning that allows the use of a variety of drop size distribution assumptions to account for some of the natural variability diagnosed from the soundings; and 4) retrieving atmospheric and surface parameters just outside the rainy areas, thus providing information about the environment to help decrease the uncertainty of the rain estimates.

A Novel Ku-Band Radiometer/Scatterometer Approach for Improved Oceanic Wind Vector Measurements

This paper presents a conceptual conical-scanning radiometer/scatterometer (RadScat) instrument design for the purpose of improving satellite ocean vector wind retrievals under rain-free conditions. This technique combines the wind vector signature in the passive linearly polarized ocean brightness temperatures with the anisotropic signature of multiazimuthal radar cross-sectional measurements to retrieve oceanic surface wind vectors. The performance of the RadScat is evaluated using a Monte Carlo simulation based on actual measurements from the SeaWinds scatterometer and the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer onboard the Advanced Earth Observing Satellite II. The results demonstrate significant improvements in wind vector retrievals, particularly in the near-subtrack swath, where the performance of conical-scanning scatterometers degrades.

A Cross-calibrated, Multiplatform Ocean Surface Wind Velocity Product for Meteorological and Oceanographic Applications

Abstract The ocean surface wind mediates exchanges between the ocean and the atmosphere. These air–sea exchange processes are critical for understanding and predicting atmosphere, ocean, and wave phenomena on many time and space scales. A cross-calibrated multiplatform (CCMP) long-term data record of satellite ocean surface winds is available from 1987 to 2008 with planned extensions through 2012. A variational analysis method (VAM) is used to combine surface wind data derived from conventional and in situ sources and multiple satellites into a consistent nearglobal analysis at 25-km resolution, every 6 h. The input data are cross-calibrated wind speeds derived from the Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSM/I; F08–F15), the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission Microwave Imager (TMI), and the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for Earth Observing System (AMSR-E), and wind vectors from SeaWinds on the NASA Quick Scatterometer (QuikSCAT) and on the second Japanese Advanced Earth Observing Satellite (ADEOS-...

Practical guidelines for electro-dynamic tethers to survive from orbital debris impacts

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has proposed an active debris removal using electro-dynamic tether to reduce large space debris in the low-Earth orbit. However, a tether strand is thin but long enough to have a large area so that it is vulnerable to small particles. This vulnerability might be the weakest point of a tether system against orbital debris. In order to overcome this weakest point, a double tether system, in which two tether strands are tied together at even intervals to form equally spaced loops, has been suggested as one of the promising candidates. This paper provides a mathematical approach to estimate the survival probability of a double tether system and then apply the approach to evaluate the mission success rate of the active debris removal using electro-dynamic tether that JAXA has proposed. It can be concluded the countermeasure to get enough success rate can be obtained. The result is simulated for Advanced Earth Observing Satellite II (ADEOS-II) re-entry from 800 km sun synchronized orbit to atmosphere. The simulation shows that mission success rate over 90% can be obtained with number of loops over 1000 and 10 mm clearance between two strands.

Improvements in the data quality of the Interferometric Monitor for Greenhouse Gases

The Interferometric Monitor for Greenhouse Gases (IMG) operated aboard the polar-orbiting Advanced Earth Observing Satellite from October 1996 through June 1997. The IMG measured upwelling infrared radiance at fine spectral resolution. This paper identifies previously undocumented issues with IMG interferograms and describes procedures for correcting the majority of the affected data. In particular, single-sided interferograms should be used to avoid large noise bursts, and phase ambiguities must be resolved in uncalibrated spectra before radiometric calibration. The corrections are essential for studies that require accurately calibrated radiance spectra, including those that track atmospheric changes globally on decadal time scales.

Longitudinally Dependent Ozone Increase in the Antarctic Polar Vortex Revealed by Balloon and Satellite Observations

Abstract The horizontal structure of processes causing increases in ozone in the Antarctic polar vortex was examined using data measured in 2003 from an ozonesonde observation campaign at Syowa Station (39.6°E, 69.0°S) and from the Improved Limb Atmospheric Spectrometer II (ILAS-II) onboard the Advanced Earth Observing Satellite II. The ILAS-II data are daily and distributed uniformly at 14 points in the zonal direction, mostly at polar latitudes. The Antarctic ozone hole that developed in 2003 was one of the largest recorded. The period of focus in this study is 26 September through 24 October, when a strong polar vortex was situated in the stratosphere. An ozone mixing ratio contour (1.0 ppmv) moved downward near a height of 20 km during the period of focus. This increase in ozone is likely to result from downward transport of ozone-rich air originating from lower latitudes by Brewer–Dobson circulation. First, the descent rate of the mixing ratio contour was estimated by taking the geometric height as the vertical coordinate for the deep vortex interior around 20 km. A significant longitudinal dependence was observed. An analysis using ECMWF operational data shows that this dependence can be approximately explained by longitudinally dependent vertical movements of the isentropes caused by a zonal wavenumber-1 quasi-stationary planetary wave with amplitude and phases varying on a seasonal time scale. Next, the descent rate was calculated around 500 K (around 20 km) by taking the potential temperature (isentrope) as the vertical coordinate. The longitudinal dependence was still present using this coordinate, meaning that the ozone mixing ratio and its increase are not constant on the isentropic layer even in the interior of the polar vortex. A backward trajectory analysis showed that air parcels with large ozone mixing ratios were mostly transported from the polar vortex boundary region. This result suggests that lateral transport/mixing is important even before the breakup of the polar vortex. Results from a tracer–tracer correlation analysis of O3 and long-lived constituent N2O were also consistent with this inference. The contribution of lateral mixing to the increase in ozone was estimated at about 17% ± 4% that of the Brewer–Dobson circulation around 20 km, using the calculated descent rates. The results of this study also imply that Lagrangian downward motions in the vortex interior are not correctly estimated without accounting for lateral mixing, even if the polar vortex is dynamically stable.

A Wind and Rain Backscatter Model Derived From AMSR and SeaWinds Data

The SeaWinds scatterometer was originally designed to measure wind vectors over the ocean by exploiting the relationship between wind-induced surface roughening and the normalized radar backscatter cross section. Rain can degrade scatterometer wind estimation; however, the simultaneous wind/rain (SWR) algorithm was developed to enable SeaWinds to simultaneously retrieve wind and rain rate data. This algorithm is based on colocating data from the Precipitation Radar on the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission and SeaWinds on QuikSCAT. This paper develops a new wind and rain radar backscatter model for SWR using colocated data from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR) and SeaWinds aboard the Advanced Earth Observing Satellite II. This paper accounts for rain height in the model in order to calculate surface rain rate from the integrated rain rate. The performance of SWR using the new wind/rain model is measured by comparison of wind vectors and rain rates to the previous SWR algorithm, AMSR rain rates, and National Center for Environmental Prediction numerical weather prediction winds. The new SWR algorithm produces more accurate rain estimates and improved winds, and detects rain with a low false alarm rate.

An improved derivation of the top‐of‐atmosphere albedo from POLDER/ADEOS‐2: 2. Broadband albedo

The narrowband albedos derived from Polarization and Directionality of Earth Reflectances (POLDER) measurements have been described in a companion paper (Buriez et al., 2005). Here, they are used to estimate the broadband shortwave albedo. Except for the gaseous absorption, the albedos at 443 and 670 nm are considered as representative of the UV‐visible range, and the albedo at 865 nm is considered as representative of the near infrared. The gaseous absorption is estimated from TOMS data and from the POLDER 910‐ to 865‐nm reflectance ratio. In a previous approach, the respective weights of the three narrowband albedos were based on radiative transfer simulations. Now, we take advantage of spatiotemporal coincidences between the second Advanced Earth Observing Satellite (ADEOS‐2) and Terra to adjust these weights from the comparison between POLDER narrowband and CERES broadband reflectances. With no adjustment, the POLDER albedos are underestimated by 2% (in relative value) whereas the associated reflectances are underestimated by 4%. With an adjustment to the CERES reflectances, the POLDER shortwave albedos are overestimated by 2%. With or without adjustment the RMS difference between the POLDER and the CERES 1°‐regional instantaneous shortwave albedos is 6%; this is quite satisfactory since it is comparable to the CERES SW albedo consistency between nadir and oblique viewing zenith angles. When considering only homogeneous areas, the agreement between POLDER and CERES estimates was rather less good in the previous approach; it is now more than twice better. The difference between POLDER and CERES shortwave albedo estimates appears, for a large part, due to our plane‐parallel assumption that is crucial for the heterogeneous liquid water clouds. It results in a bias in monthly mean shortwave flux around 2 W m−2 that is found to present only small variations in latitude.

A new vegetation index derived from the pattern decomposition method applied to Landsat‐7/ETM+ images in Mongolia

The goal of this study was to estimate vegetation coverage and map the land‐cover in an experimental field (60×60 km) near Mandalgobi, Mongolia using Landsat‐7/ETM+ data for ground truthing in the Advanced Earth Observing Satellite II (ADEOS‐II) Mongolian Plateau Experiment (AMPEX). We measured soil moisture, vegetation coverage, and vegetation moisture in the field at 49 grid points around the time that the Aqua satellite passed over the area. We also surveyed the land‐cover in the field. Using ground‐based data and characteristics of spectral reflectance, we attempted to extract vegetation information from satellite data using the pattern decomposition method, which is a type of spectral mixture analysis. This method uses normalized spectral shapes as endmembers, which do not change between scenes. We defined an index using the pattern decomposition coefficients to analyse sparsely vegetated areas. The index showed a linear relationship with vegetation coverage. The vegetation coverage was estimated for the study site, and the average coverage at the site was 21.4%. Land‐cover types were classified using the index and the pattern decomposition coefficients; the kappa coefficient was 0.75. The index was useful for estimating vegetation coverage and land‐cover mapping for semiarid areas.

Atmospheric correction scheme for GLI with absorptive aerosol correction

The present study proposes an atmospheric correction scheme for Advanced Earth Observation Satellite II (ADEOS-II)/Global Imager (GLI) ocean color retrieval that corrects for the atmospheric absorptive aerosol effect. Radiative transfer simulations were conducted assuming a non-absorptive model aerosol with a soot-type aerosol at various mixture ratios. The results indicate that while the spectral dependency of aerosol reflectance does not change in the longer (>550 nm) wavelength region, the reflectance at shorter wavelengths is highly variable and depends on the mixture ratio. The influence of aerosol absorption was also investigated using GLI data from ocean areas adjacent to Japan in the presence of absorptive Siberian fire smoke aerosol in the spring of 2003. The spectral curvature of the aerosol was estimated from the data obtained. An empirical, iterative scheme that detects and evaluates the influence of absorptive aerosols was developed by comparing 380 nm GLI-observed aerosol reflectance with predicted reflectances derived using an in-water optical model. To evaluate the performance of this scheme, satellite-derived normalized water-leaving radiances were compared with those measured from a ferry servicing Nagasaki and Fukue. The results of data acquired on March 20, 2003, indicate that this absorption correction scheme improved root mean square estimation error for normalized water-leaving radiance by approximately 40% in the 380, 400, and 412 nm bands. This atmospheric correction algorithm was used as a part of the second version of the GLI standard ocean color data process system at Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

Attitude Stability Analysis for Stick-Slip-Induced Disturbances of Extended Structure with Tension Control Mechanism

An analytical approach is developed for determining the spacecraft attitude response to disturbances caused by the stick-slip motion of a large extended structure with a tension control mechanism. In this method, attitude dynamics with a flexible appendage is formulated as a general constrained mode model, and coupling with the stick-slip motion is formulated as the transition of equilibrium states of modal parameters. Numerical calculations are presented for the flexible solar array on the Advanced Earth Observing Satellite. This satellite experienced unexpected attitude oscillations due to the stick-slip motion while operating in orbit.

Preface to special section on ILAS‐II: The Improved Limb Atmospheric Spectrometer–II

The Improved Limb Atmospheric Spectrometer–II (ILAS‐II) was a solar‐occultation satellite sensor designed to measure minor constituents associated with polar ozone depletion. ILAS‐II was placed on board the Advanced Earth Observing Satellite–II (ADEOS‐II, “Midori‐II”), which was successfully launched on 14 December 2002 from the Tanegashima Space Center of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). After an initial check of the instruments, ILAS‐II made routine measurements for about 7 months, from 2 April 2003 to 24 October 2003, a period that included the formation and collapse of an Antarctic ozone hole in 2003, one of the largest in history. This paper introduces a special section containing papers on ILAS‐II instrumental and on‐orbit characteristics, several validation results of ILAS‐II data processed with the version 1.4 data processing algorithm, and scientific analyses of polar stratospheric chemistry and dynamics using ILAS‐II data.

Monthly averages of nitrous oxide and ozone for the Northern and Southern Hemisphere high latitudes: A “1‐year climatology” derived from ILAS/ILAS‐II observations

Correlations of ozone (O3) and nitrous oxide (N2O) have been suggested as a tool for validating photochemical models and as a reference for estimating high‐latitude ozone loss. However, so far no analysis of ozone‐tracer relations is available that provides a good temporal coverage during all months. Here we combine measurements from the Improved Limb Atmospheric Spectrometers (ILAS/ILAS‐II) to derive an O3/N2O climatology for the high‐latitude regions in the Northern and Southern Hemisphere for each month of the year, thus providing a complete seasonal cycle. ILAS and ILAS‐II operated on board the Advanced Earth Observing Satellite (ADEOS/ADEOS‐II), and both instruments use the solar occultation technique. ILAS operated for 8 months in 1996/1997, and ILAS‐II operated for 7 months in 2003. The ILAS‐II measurements cover the months that are not available from ILAS. The ILAS/ILAS‐II correlations of ozone versus nitrous oxide are organized monthly in both hemispheres by partitioning these data into equal bins of altitude or potential temperature. The resulting families of curves allow separation of ozone changes due to photochemistry from those due to transport. The combined ILAS/ILAS‐II data set corroborates earlier findings that the families of O3/N2O curves are separated and generally do not cross and further that the separation is much clearer for the potential temperature binning than for the altitude binning. The much clearer separation for the potential temperature binning is due to transport being predominantly isentropic. Thus these curves are particularly suitable for the validation of photochemical models. The seasonal cycle of O3/N2O distributions in the Northern and Southern Hemisphere high latitudes is found to be rather different. In the Southern Hemisphere, O3/N2O distributions are influenced by the strong chemical ozone loss in the Antarctic vortex and by a much longer duration of the polar vortex. In the Northern Hemisphere, diabatic descent is much more pronounced. Solely during the setup phase of the polar vortex the N2O/O3 distributions in the two hemispheres are rather similar.

Intercomparison of ILAS‐II version 1.4 aerosol extinction coefficient at 780 nm with SAGE II, SAGE III, and POAM III

The Improved Limb Atmospheric Spectrometer (ILAS)‐II on board the Advanced Earth Observing Satellite (ADEOS)‐II observed stratospheric aerosol in visible/near‐infrared/infrared spectra over high latitudes in the Northern and Southern hemispheres, intermittently from January to March and continuously from April through October 2003. This study assesses the data quality of ILAS‐II version 1.4 (V1.4) aerosol extinction coefficient at 780 nm. In the Northern Hemisphere (NH), aerosol extinction coefficient (AEC) from ILAS‐II agreed with extinctions from SAGE II and SAGE III within ±10% and with extinction from POAM III within ±15% at heights below 20 km. From 20 to 26 km, ILAS‐II AEC was smaller than extinctions from the other three sensors; differences between ILAS‐II and SAGE II ranged from 10% at 20 km to 34% at 26 km in the NH. Over the Southern Hemisphere (SH), ILAS‐II AEC from 20 to 25 km in February was 12–66% below SAGE II extinction. The difference increased with increasing altitude. Comparisons between ILAS‐II and POAM III from January to May in the SH (“non‐PSC season”) yielded qualitatively similar results. From June to October (“PSC season”), ILAS‐II extinction was also smaller than POAM III extinction above 17 km; however, ILAS‐II extinction agreed with POAM III extinction to within ±15% from 12 to 17 km during the PSC season. The comparisons indicate that in both hemispheres the ILAS‐II V1.4 AEC is comparable to extinctions from other measurements below approximately 20 km and systematically low above approximately 20 km although the mean difference is as small as ∼2 × 10−5 km−1 during the non‐PSC season.

Measurements of ClONO2 by the Improved Limb Atmospheric Spectrometer (ILAS) in high‐latitude stratosphere: New products using version 6.1 data processing algorithm

We report the first continuous measurements of chlorine nitrate (ClONO2) in high‐latitude regions taken by the Improved Limb Atmospheric Spectrometer (ILAS) on board the Advanced Earth Observing Satellite (ADEOS) and processed using the latest data retrieval algorithm (version 6.1). Performance of the measurements, validation with three balloon‐borne sensors, and seasonal variation of ClONO2 in the Arctic and Antarctic stratosphere are presented, as well as a brief description of the version 6.1 algorithm and data characteristics for both the Arctic and Antarctic. Although the ILAS‐measured ClONO2 data show, on average, ∼30% lower values than the validation data, they agree with validation data within the combined total error (∼20–40%) of the ClONO2 measurements at ∼15‐ to 32‐km altitudes. In the Arctic, enhancement of ClONO2 amounts was observed in spring 1997 after the appearance of polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) inside the polar vortex. This is the result of preference for ClONO2 formation rather than HCl after the activation of ClOx in this Arctic spring of 1997. In the Antarctic, ClONO2 amounts showed strong local time/latitudinal dependence around the austral fall equinox in 1997.

Correction of the effect of relative wind direction on wind speed derived by advanced microwave scanning radiometer

The sea surface wind speed (SSWS) derived by a microwave radiometer can be contaminated by changes of the brightness temperature owing to the angle between the sensor azimuth and the wind direction (Relative Wind Direction effect: RWD effect). We attempt to apply the method proposed by Konda and Shibata (2004) to the SSWS derived by Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR) on Advanced Earth Observing Satellite II (ADEOS-II), in order to correct for the RWD effect. The improvement of accuracy of the SSWS estimation amounts to roughly 60% of the error caused by the RWD effect. Comparison with in situ observation at the Tropical Atmosphere Ocean (TAO) array shows that the root mean square error of the corrected SSWS is 1.1 ms−1. It is found that the impact of the RWD effect on the estimation of the latent heat flux can amount to about 30 Wm−2 on average. We applied the method to the SSWS derived by AMSR for Earth Observing System (AMSR-E) and obtained a similar result.