Observed near‐surface currents under high wind speeds

From the Surface Velocity Program (SVP) drifter current and QuikSCAT wind data, the relationship between the observed near‐surface current vectors and surface wind vectors for the northwestern Pacific Ocean under high winds (20–50 m s −1 ) are obtained with quantitative estimations of near‐surface drift ratio (current speed versus wind speed) r (∼2%) and near‐surface drift angle α (∼0°–10° to the right of the winds). These estimations keep unchanged after removing the surface geostrophic component. From the SVP drifter current and daily WindSat wind data, the estimated r is still approximately 2%. Three linear regression equations are obtained between the observed near‐surface current speeds and the surface wind stress for the high wind range.