Verifying vectors

Predictions of vector fields are more complex to verify than predictions of scalar fields. Verification of vector fields, like wind, typically involves transforming the vector into two scalar values, then applying traditional verification methods to each separately. This paper explores some alternate verification strategies. Appropriate circular statistics are calculated for wind vectors. Vectors are transformed into the scalar measure, divergence, then verified using traditional and object-based methods. In vector calculus, divergence fields often give information about regions of inflow or outflow, i.e. sinks and sources, indicating that object-based verification methods might be appropriate. Each strategy is compared with the typical methods of verifying wind via standard statistics on either the scalar values of direction and speed or u and v components.