Synoptic oceanic wind fields

Assessment of the contribution of long‐distance storms to the ambient noise background requires a synoptic sampling of the surface wind and wave fields over large oceanic areas. Wind fields based upon satellite observations of cloud cover motions over the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans are operationally reported thrice daily by the National Environmental Satellite Service of NOAA. In the Pacific the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) covers latitudes 50°N–50°S and longitudes 170°E–110°W with sampled points every $212°$ in latitude and longitude. Although these are data taken at cloud altitudes, a combination of cloud cover motions for wind direction and satellite scatterometer data for wind speed appears promising. Conformal mapping of wind speed to acoustic noise source level is via Wilson [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 66, 1499–1507 (1979)]. [Work supported by NAVELEX‐320.]