Using QuikSCAT wind vectors in data assimilation systems

High quality wind vector fields (swaths) retrieved from QuikSCAT measurements have already found many applications in different fields of meteorology, climatology, and other environmental sciences. To generate these fields, the current retrieval procedure successfully integrates or fuses the first guess wind fields and satellite data. As a result, the QuikSCAT wind field is a blend of satellite information and information from the FG. For most QuikSCAT wind applications, the percentage of independent satellite information, α, (or the ratio of satellite to first guess information) in the wind field is not an essential parameter and does not significantly affect the applicability of the data.