SeaWinds uses a rotating dish antenna with two beams. The antenna radiates microwave pulses at a frequency of 13.4 gigahertz across broad regions on Earth's surface.
Winds are a critical factor in determining regional weather patterns and climate.
As part of the SeaWinds Project, NASA sponsors a team of scientific investigators who advised the project during the development of the instrument and ground data processing system. Measurements of surface wind velocity can be used in regional and global numerical weather models to improve our ability to predict weather. The SeaWinds Project is managed for NASA's Earth Science Enterprise by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology. Gracie Hallowell Send website feedback to the Webmaster .