An Accuracy Goal for a Comprehensive Satellite Wind Measuring System

Abstract

Variational analysis with a geostrophic constraint is used to estimate a critical accuracy for a satellite lidar wind measuring system. This accuracy is such that the combination of satellite winds with satellite temperatures can produce analyses with an accuracy equal to that obtained from a rawinsonde network. An important assumption allowing this estimate to be made is that the satellite wind and temperature measurements are made with a spatial density equal to that of the rawinsonde network.