Utilizing Two-Look Capabilities of the Compact Ocean Wind Vector Radiometer (COWVR)

The Compact Ocean Wind Vector Radiometer (COWVR) was developed as a proof-of-concept technology demonstration mission at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in collaboration with the US Air Force Space Missile Command. COWVR—due for launch in 2018—is a low-cost, low-mass, low-power fully-polarimetric imaging radiometer system operating at 18.7, 23.8 and 34.5 GHz and based on the Jason-2/3 Advanced Microwave Radiometer (AMR) design.

Observations from COWVR will provide ocean surface wind vector, sea ice, precipitation, water vapor, and cloud liquid water data. This paper focuses on the development of ocean surface wind vector algorithms. Prior to launch, algorithms are being developed using observations from a similar instrument—WindSat. WindSat’s observing geometry is such that there is a small portion of the forward (fore) and backward (aft) look directions which overlap; this allows for two looks at a scene on Earth. COWVR was designed to have a 360 degree, un-obstructed observation geometry, and therefore will benefit from complete utilization of a two-look type algorithm. Utilizing two-look capabilities will lessen the need for numerical weather prediction-based ambiguity removal—typically relied upon in single-look type ocean wind vector algorithms. The design and performance characteristics of a two-look ocean surface wind vector algorithm for COWVR will be presented.