UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED
NASA QuikScat
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•The SeaWinds instrument on the QuikSCAT satellite is a specialized microwave radar that measures near-surface wind speed and direction under all weather and cloud conditions over Earth's oceans.
•SeaWinds uses a rotating dish antenna with two spot beams that sweep in a circular pattern. The antenna radiates microwave pulses at a frequency of 13.4 gigahertz across broad regions on Earth's surface.
•The instrument collects data over ocean, land, and ice in a continuous, 1,800-kilometer-wide band, making approx. 400,000 measurements and covering 90% of  Earth's surface in one day.