Wind Fields from SAR: Could They Improve Our Understanding of Storm Dynamics?

our hurricane images obtained by Radarsat were examined. Strong variations in backscatter from the surface in and around convective cells associated with rain cells and rain bands were observed, coupled with increased backscatter in regions of high wind outflow. Long linear features of 3 to 6 km were also noted in three of the four hurricanes, probably due to secondary circulations in the atmospheric boundary layer (roll vortices). They occurred between convective rain bands, where the descending motion could produce a well-defined boundary layer. Although the origins and mechanisms producing the features are still not clear, the high-resolution wide swath coverage modes of synthetic aperture radar provide new insights and present important questions for further research. (Keywords: Hurricanes, Roll vortices, SAR winds, Surface features.)