Sensors: SEAWINDS
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| - | The [[Sensor: SeaWinds|SeaWinds]] scatterometer on QuikSCAT began producing science quality data on July 19, 1999. | + | The [[Sensor: SeaWinds|SeaWinds]] scatterometer on QuikSCAT began producing science quality data on July 19, 1999. SeaWinds is the main instrument on the QuikSCAT satellite. |
The SeaWinds instrument on the QuikSCAT satellite is a specialized microwave radar that measures near-surface wind speed and direction under all weather and cloud conditions over Earth's oceans. | The SeaWinds instrument on the QuikSCAT satellite is a specialized microwave radar that measures near-surface wind speed and direction under all weather and cloud conditions over Earth's oceans. | ||
SeaWinds uses a rotating dish antenna with two spot beams that sweep in a circular pattern. The antenna radiates microwave pulses at a frequency of 13.4 gigahertz across broad regions on Earth's surface. | SeaWinds uses a rotating dish antenna with two spot beams that sweep in a circular pattern. The antenna radiates microwave pulses at a frequency of 13.4 gigahertz across broad regions on Earth's surface. | ||
Revision as of 13:42, 30 November 2012
The SeaWinds scatterometer on QuikSCAT began producing science quality data on July 19, 1999. SeaWinds is the main instrument on the QuikSCAT satellite. The SeaWinds instrument on the QuikSCAT satellite is a specialized microwave radar that measures near-surface wind speed and direction under all weather and cloud conditions over Earth's oceans. SeaWinds uses a rotating dish antenna with two spot beams that sweep in a circular pattern. The antenna radiates microwave pulses at a frequency of 13.4 gigahertz across broad regions on Earth's surface. SeaWinds – A Ku-band (13.4 GHz) Scatterometer featuring a circular dish antenna, which provides pencil-beam radar backscatter measurements. The instrument will collect data over ocean, land, and ice in a continuous, 1,800-kilometer-wide band, making approximately 400,000 measurements and covering 90% of Earth's surface in one day. It’s primary purpose is to provide all-weather ocean surface wind vector measurements over the ice-free global oceans.
