ESTIMATING THE SURFACE WIND SPEED IN THE REGIONS OF ATMOSPHERIC CONVECTION OVER THE BLACK SEA ON 24 MARCH 1998 FROM SATELLITE AND RADAR DATA

M. V. Bukharov and T. Kh. Geokhlanyan

The results of the analysis of surface wind speed calculated from satellite side-looking radar (SLR) for the region of convection cells over the Black Sea are presented. A fair agreement is shown between wind speed characteristics calculated from the SLR data and in situ measurements. Causes for and conditions of the local 10—15 m/s wind speed increase in the large convection cells are analyzed. A general pattern of distribution of maximal surface wind speed modulus in the regions of open convection cells is determined.