Effect of air-sea temperature difference on ocean microwave brightness temperature estimated from AMSR, SeaWinds, and buoys

The effect of air-sea temperature differences on the ocean microwave brightness temperature (Tb) was investigated using the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR) aboard the Advanced Earth Observing Satellite-II (ADEOS-II) during a period of seven months. AMSR Tb in the global ocean was combined with wind data supplied by the scatterometer SeaWinds aboard ADEOS-II and air temperature given by a weather forecast model. Tb was negatively correlated with air-sea temperature difference, its ratio lying around -0.4K/°C at the SeaWinds wind speed of 14 m/s for the 6 GHz vertical polarization. Tb of AMSR-E aboard AQUA during 3.5 years was combined with ocean buoy data, and similar results were obtained.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]