Investigation of QuikSCAT wind measurements in the coastal Gulf of Maine Satellite

scatterometry is a well-established wind measurement tool for the open ocean. However, especially in coastal regions, scatterometer signals may contain further information associated with the roughness of the surface, and these factors may in turn affect wind vector estimate accuracy. By investigating the fine detail in the signals, we hope to determine the answers to the following questions: • Is near shore (<40 km) wind estimate performance comparable to that further offshore? • What factors (geophysical or instrumental) can be clearly identified as altering the wind vector estimate accuracy? • Do we see specific geophysical effects—for example., SST o