Abstract
The authors simulated radar backscattering coefficient ( sigma //o) measurements from spaceborne scatterometers for nonuniform wind fields by numerical integration of the radar equation. The winds were then estimated and compared with a nominal wind which is defined as the average wind vector over the wind cell. Simulation results for the planned NASA scatterometer (NSCAT) are presented for the cases of random wind fields with spectra consistent with the SASS sea surface wind spectrum.