Wind wave characteristics based on visual Observations and satellite altimetry

Joint analysis of wind wave characteristics derived from the Voluntary Observing Ship data (VOS) and satellite altimetry is presented as the first step of the synthesis of different data sources. Global distributions of significant wave heights and periods along with wind speed are constructed using various techniques and empirical parameterizations. Good qualitative and quantitative agreement of VOS and satellite altimetry is found especially for regions with high spatio-temporal density of observations. The problems and prospects of the further development of the study are discussed in the context of global wave climatology and marine safety.