Quikscat Reveals the Surface Circulation of the Catalina Eddy

[1] The Catalina Eddy, a small, recurring cyclonic vortex in the ocean off Los Angeles, is of keen interest to local weather forecasters because of the moderating oceanic effect it brings to the city. Its small size and shallow vertical extent have made it difficult to monitor and predict using conventional data. The microwave scatterometer on the QuikSCAT spacecraft has generated high-resolution surface wind vectors that provide the first visualization of the complete cyclonic flow of the eddy. Moreover, the superior performance of the QuikSCAT scatterometer demonstrates the relative inaccuracy and inconsistency of predictions of the eddy based upon numerical weather prediction models.