| Satellite scatterometers provide continuously valuable surface wind speed and direction estimates over the global ocean on a regular grid both in space and time. The Level 3 data derived from the Advanced Scatterometer (ASCAT), available at 1/4° spatial resolution (hereafter AS25), and Quick Scatterometer (QuikSCAT), available on 1/2° and 1/4° horizontal grids (QS50 and QS25, respectively), are studied at regional scales in both the Benguela and Canary upwelling systems. They are compared to the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecast surface wind analysis, with insight into their intrinsic and actual spatial resolutions. In the coastal band, the finest spatial patterns are found in the QS25 winds and are O(75 km). This demonstrates the... |
