TY - JOUR
T1 - An algorithm for retrieving atmospheric motion from satellite measurements of tracer behavior
AU - Salby, Murry L.
AU - Juckes, Martin N.
PY - 1994
Y1 - 1994
N2 - An algorithm is developed for determining three-dimensional
atmospheric motion from global measurements of tracer behavior. The latter
constitute observations of the material field, which underlies essential
dynamical budgets that govern the circulation. Because it treats the material
behavior as an observable, the algorithm provides a more direct means of
determining atmospheric motion from space than the traditional scheme, in which
material behavior must be derived from remote measurements of temperature.
Incorporating observations of an ensemble of tracers (e.g., from multiple
instruments or multiple orbiting platforms) leads to a variational problem for
the Lagrangian displacement field, the solution of which determines the global
distribution of air motion. The algorithm's direct relationship to material
behavior circumvents well-known limitations of the traditional scheme for
inferring atmospheric motion from space. Further, since it is based on
kinematic constraints that follow directly from observables, the retrieved
motion is not artificially biased towards approximate forms of the governing
equations and uncertainties accompanying them, e.g., as are inherent in
assimilations based on numerical models. For this reason, motion in the tropics
is determined as reliably as elsewhere on the globe. Calculations under
realistic conditions illustrate that the accuracy of the retrieved motion is
limited chiefly by the number and quality of tracer observations. Those
calculations also demonstrate that the accuracy can be improved dramatically by
increasing the number of orbiting platforms from which tracer measurements are
provided.
AB - An algorithm is developed for determining three-dimensional
atmospheric motion from global measurements of tracer behavior. The latter
constitute observations of the material field, which underlies essential
dynamical budgets that govern the circulation. Because it treats the material
behavior as an observable, the algorithm provides a more direct means of
determining atmospheric motion from space than the traditional scheme, in which
material behavior must be derived from remote measurements of temperature.
Incorporating observations of an ensemble of tracers (e.g., from multiple
instruments or multiple orbiting platforms) leads to a variational problem for
the Lagrangian displacement field, the solution of which determines the global
distribution of air motion. The algorithm's direct relationship to material
behavior circumvents well-known limitations of the traditional scheme for
inferring atmospheric motion from space. Further, since it is based on
kinematic constraints that follow directly from observables, the retrieved
motion is not artificially biased towards approximate forms of the governing
equations and uncertainties accompanying them, e.g., as are inherent in
assimilations based on numerical models. For this reason, motion in the tropics
is determined as reliably as elsewhere on the globe. Calculations under
realistic conditions illustrate that the accuracy of the retrieved motion is
limited chiefly by the number and quality of tracer observations. Those
calculations also demonstrate that the accuracy can be improved dramatically by
increasing the number of orbiting platforms from which tracer measurements are
provided.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0028193516&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1029/93JD01860
DO - 10.1029/93JD01860
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0028193516
VL - 99
SP - 1403
EP - 1417
JO - Journal of Geophysical Research
JF - Journal of Geophysical Research
SN - 0148-0227
IS - D1
ER -