Using ASCAT Wind and Other Data in Marine Forecasting

3.0 System Identification and Model Evaluation Using Observational Data » 3.5 ASCAT Wind Data » 3.5.5 Combined Metop-A and -B Passes

As we just saw, Metop-A and -B both pass over the area within one hour of each other, during the early morning hours of 23 November. Let's look at how the wind data compares between the two ASCAT scatterometers. View the Metop-A pass for 0545 and the Metop-B pass for 0639 UTC below. Both show westerly winds to the east of the ship's position, and a well-defined region of directional wind shear possibly related to the presence of a surface boundary or front.

If we combine the Metop-A and -B passes (completed 54 minutes apart), we see good spatial continuity in wind speed and direction within the overlapping ocean areas sampled by both satellites.

Metop-A and B ASCAT wind barbs around South Africa from both 0545 and 0639 UTC 23 Nov 2013