International Winds Working Group

The International Winds Working Group (IWWG) was established in 1991 and became a formal working group of the Coordination Group for Meteorological Satellites (CGMS) in 1994.

IWWG was initially established to focus on cloud track winds from geostationary data. As the satellite observing system has developed, the IWWG has broadened its interest to cover the range of wind datasets derived from current and future satellite missions. The main focus remains the atmospheric motion vectors produced by tracking features (clouds and water vapour) in geostationary and polar imagery sequences. Other winds datasets addressed by the group include: (i) ocean surface winds derived from radar backscatter and conical-scanning microwave radiometers (ii) data from research missions (e.g. MISR winds) and (iii) future datasets including wind profile information from space-borne lidar and 3-D wind fields derived from tracking features in clear sky moisture fields produced from future geostationary hyperspectral infrared sounders.

IWWG provides a forum to discuss and coordinate research and developments in data production, verification/validation procedures and assimilation techniques.