Reconstruction and Validation of Gridded Product of Wind/Wind-stress derived by Satellite Scatterometer Data over the World Ocean and its Impact for Air-Sea Interaction Study

We have persistently constructed gridded products of surface wind/wind stress over the world ocean using satellite scatterometer (ERS and Qscat). They are available for users as the Japanese Ocean Flux data sets with Use of Remote sensing Observation (J-OFURO) data together with heat flux components. Recently, a new version data of the Qscat/SeaWinds based on improved algorithm for rain flag and high wind-speed range have been delivered, and allowed us to reconstruct gridded product with higher spatial resolution. These products are validated by comparisons with in-situ measurement data by mooring buoys such as TAO/TRITON, NDBC and the Kuroshio Extension Observation (KEO) buoys, together with numerical weather prediction model products such as the NCEP-1 and 2. Results reveal that the new product has almost the same magnitude in mean difference as the previous version of Qscat product and much smaller than the NCEP-1 and 2. On the other hand, it is slightly larger root-mean-square (RMS) difference than the previous one and NCEPs for the comparison using the KEO buoy data. This may be due to the deficit of high wind speed data in the buoy measurement. The high resolution product, together with sea surface temperature (SST) one, is used to examine a new type of relationship between the lower atmosphere and upper ocean in the Kuroshio Extension region.