The goal of the FSU IN SITU FLUXES project is to provide and study better products for marine surface variability. In particular, we focus on the transfer (flux) of energy and momentum between the ocean and the atmosphere, as well as variables related to this problem (wind speed, wind vectors, sea surface temperature, air temperature, humidity, surface pressure, and wave characteristics). The FSU IN SITU FLUXES products are monthly averages, based solely on in situ observations (ships and buoys). The FSU SATELLITE FLUXES largely rely on satellite observations. One key advantage of the satellite-based products is finer resolution in space and time. A key advantage of the in situ-based product is the potential for a much longer time series.
Many of the concepts used to develop the FSU IN SITU FLUXES (the current version is known as FSU3) are described in our paper on the FSU2 winds (Bourassa et al. 2005). Additional papers describing the FSU3 products have been submitted.
Bourassa, M. A., R. Romero, S. R. Smith, and J, J. O'Brien, 2005: A new FSU winds climatology, J. Clim., 18, 3692-3704. doi.org/10.1175/JCLI3487.1