Southern Hemisphere Synoptic Weather from a Satellite Scatterometer

Abstract

Analyses of remotely sensed wind vector data from six satellite passes over parts of the Southern Ocean during September 1978 are shown. Winds are input to a planetary boundary layer model to produce sea level pressure fields. These are compared to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology conventional mean sea level pressure and to the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts pressure analyses. The analyses suggest that the Southern Hemisphere synoptic-scale pressure gradients for the cases studied are significantly stronger than those analyzed by the weather services. Compared to the Northern Hemisphere, serious deficiencies in all analysis schemes are revealed. However, it appears that remotely sensed data added to standard analysis techniques and satellite imagery can greatly enhance analysis and prognosis in remote oceanic regions and improve climatological flux estimates in the Southern Hemisphere.