Validation Study of Gridded Product of Surface Wind/Wind-stress derived by Satellite Scatterometer Data in the Western North Pacific using Kuroshio Extension Observatory Buoy

Gridded products of surface wind/wind-stress over the world ocean have been constructed by using satellite scatterometer as the Japanese Ocean Flux data sets with Use of Remote-sensing Observation (J-OFURO) data. Our previous validation study in the tropical Pacific using TAO/Triton and NDBC buoys revealed high reliability of our products. In this study, the Kuroshio Extension Observatory (KEO) buoy data are used for validation of other gridded wind-stress products including the NCEP-1 and 2 in the western North Pacific region where there have been few in-situ data. Results reveal that our J-OFURO product has almost zero mean difference and smallest root-mean-square (RMS) difference, while the NCEP-1 and 2 ones significantly positive biases and relatively high RMS difference. Intercomparison between the J-OFURO and NCEP products in a wide region of the North Pacific covered by the westerly winds exhibits that the NCEPs have larger magnitudes in the wind stress than the J-OFURO's, suggesting overestimation of the NCEPs.