Potential of Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) Derived Sea Surface Currents for U.S. Coast Guard Search and Rescue Application.
1997
O'Donnell, J. E. | Robe, R. Q.
The U.S. Coast Guard evaluated the potential of AVHRR for estimating the near real-time surface velocity field for oceanic searches. By comparing sequential AVHRR images, the movement of sea surface temperature features can be detected from which the surface currents are inferred. Two methods are available for estimating surface currents from satellite imagery: feature tracking and inversion of the heat equation. The two techniques were evaluated to determine which method was best suited to fulfill the unique operational requirements of the U.S. Coast Guard Search and Rescue program. Implementation of these methods for operational search planning involves different requirements than for pure research. To address these issues, AVHRR derived surface currents were compared with drifting buoy measurements. It is anticipated that AVHRR imagery will be used in conjunction with imagery from other satellite sensors as the technology and data become available. In addition to providing near real-time velocity fields, the data contained in AVHRR images are useful to search and rescue operations by providing positions of thermal fronts and ocean eddies.
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