Atlas of the Oceans

Global meteorology - major surface wind patterns; what drives the wind? the global meridional circulation; zonal circulations; storms; tropical cyclones; subtropical cyclones; hybrid systems. Ocean wind waves -basic ocean wave properties; the random sea surface; dependence on wind speed and fetch; wave propagation and swell. The GEOSAT satellite mission - the GEOSAT coverage; wave measurement using the GEOSAT radar altimeter; wave height measurement validation; wind measurement using the GEOSAT radar altimeter; wind speed measurement validation and choice of algorithm; Brown algorithm; Chelton and McCabe algorithm; Goldhirsh and Dobson algorithm; Chelton and Wentz algorithm; Witter and Chelton algorithm; comparison of exiting algorithms; Young's algorithm for high wind speed; wind speed validation. Data preparation - introduction; data quality control; partitioning of data; mean monthly statistics; probability of exceedence. Data validation - mean monthly significant wave heights; probability of exceedence - significant wave height; mean monthly wind speed; probability of exceedence - wind speed; conclusions as to the validity of results. Global wind and wave statistics - background; global monthly means and exceedence probabilities; detail of each ocean basin; the Indian Ocean; the North Pacific Ocean; the South Pacific Ocean; the North Atlantic Ocean; the South Atlantic Ocean; latitude, longitude and great-circle sections; selected output at points. References; glossary - common terms; unit conversion; length; time; speed; conversion C grades to F grades; conversion K grades to C grades; the Beaufort Scale.