0.25 Deg Horizontal Winds and Derived Dynamic Quantities From NOAA‐20 and Suomi‐NPP Satellite Water Vapor Soundings

Abstract We produced global 0.25° three‐dimensional distribution of horizontal wind vectors (or 3D winds) by tracking water vapor from the hyperspectral infrared sounders and microwave sounders aboard two polar satellites (NOAA‐20 and Suomi‐NPP) that have overlapping tracks with time separation of 50 min. They outperform the previous 1° 3D winds we produced by reducing the negative speed bias by 50% compared with collocated radiosonde data. These 3D winds along with the temperature and humidity data yielded ∼7,700 full (10 levels) profiles per day that is about six times the available global radiosonde profiles per day. They are then used to estimate the wind rotation with height in the planetary boundary layer and in the free atmosphere above, and to compute dynamic quantities (vorticity and divergence). These preliminary results represent the first time when satellite measurements alone can be used to compute such quantities.