Comparison of X-Band Sar and Coamps Model Wind Fields and Other Air-Sea Interaction Parameters in Monterey Bay

The objective of this work is to better understand the air-sea interactions in coastal areas by developing an improved coastal synthetic aperture radar (SAR) wind retrieval algorithm. During the Coastal Land Air-Sea Interaction (CLASI) field experiment in June, 2016, X-band COSMO-SkyMed SAR images were acquired over Monterey Bay, CA. Wind fields were derived from these images using the Mouche X-band SAR wind retrieval algorithm and compared to the wind fields from the corresponding Coupled Ocean/Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction System (COAMPS) model outputs. Additional data from coastal tower measurements and other relevant sources are utilized to gain insight on a specific feature present in the SAR images, in addition to quantifying temporal and spatial surface roughness scales near the Monterey Bay coastline.