A climatology of marine meteorological phenomena in the Alaska region using synthetic aperture radar

The Alaska region offers a wide range of mesoscale and microscale marine meteorological phenomena. These phenomena include gravity waves, convection, island wakes, convective roll vortices, and gap flows. Each phenomenon require distinctly different wind shear and static stability regimes. The surface signatures of the above-mentioned phenomena are readily detectable in high-resolution synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery of the sea surface. Using an archive of over 30,000 SAR marine images of the Alaska region, we have developed frequency climatology of the above mentioned phenomena. NCEP/ NCAR reanalysis data have been employed to provide a corresponding climatology of wind shear and static stability conditions associated with each phenomenon.