THE GRAND-BANKS ERS-1 SAR WAVE SPECTRA VALIDATION EXPERIMENT - PROGRAM OVERVIEW AND DATA SUMMARY

This paper describes the observational framework for the research reported within this Special Issue. The validation of the ERS-1 synthetic aperture radar (SAR) for ocean wave measurement was the primary goal and focus; secondary goals were the validation of wave models and marine radars and the investigation of the wind stress/sea-state relation in the open ocean. The planned focus of the observations on the ERS-1 crossover node location and pass times over the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, and on the grid points of the Atmospheric Environment Service's operational wave prediction model, has produced the opportunity for an accurate calibration and a relevant validation of the ERS-1 SAR, the wave model and the marine radars. The observations, made on the Grand Banks in winter, strongly emphasize the complexity of the atmospheric and wave fields encountered in the open sea at these latitudes. Their interpretation will provide a challenge, and will require consideration of a wide variety of data sources, both remotely sensed and in situ, all assimilated in the framework of physical ocean models.