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Author Yonehara, Y., Goto, Y., Yoda, K., Watanuki, Y., Young, L.C., Weimerskirch, H., Bost, C.A., Sato, K.
Title Flight paths of seabirds soaring over the ocean surface enable measurement of fine-scale wind speed and direction Type Journal Article
Year (down) 2016 Publication Proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america Abbreviated Journal Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.
Volume 113 Issue 32 Pages 9039-9044
Keywords
Abstract Ocean surface winds are an essential factor in understanding the physical interactions between the atmosphere and the ocean.Surface winds measured by satellite scatterometers and buoys cover most of the global ocean; however, there are still spatial and temporal gaps and finer-scale variations of wind that may beoverlooked, particularly in coastal areas. Here, we show that flight paths of soaring seabirds can be used to estimate fine-scale (every 5 min, ∼5 km) ocean surface winds. Fine-scale global positioning system (GPS) positional data revealed that soaring seabirds flew tortuously and ground speed fluctuated presumably due to tail winds and head winds. Taking advantage of the ground speeddifference in relation to flight direction, we reliably estimated wind speed and direction experienced by the birds. These birdbased wind velocities were significantly correlated with wind velocities estimated by satellite-borne scatterometers. Furthermore, extensive travel distances and flight duration of the seabirds enabled a wide range of high-resolution wind observations, especially in coastal areas. Our study suggests that seabirds provide a platform from which to measure ocean surface winds, potentially complementing conventional wind measurements by covering spatial and temporal measurement gaps.
Programme 394
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0027-8424 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes Approved yes
Call Number Serial 6498
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