Crosswind sensing from optical-turbulence-induced fluctuations measured by a video camera

We present a novel method for remote sensing of crosswind using a passive imaging device, such as a video recorder. The method is based on spatial and temporal correlations of the intensity fluctuations of a naturally illuminated scene induced by atmospheric turbulence. Adaptable spatial filtering, taking into account variations of the dominant spatial scales of the turbulence (due to changes in meteorological conditions, such as turbulence strength, or imaging device performance, such as frame rate or spatial resolution), is incorporated into this method. Experimental comparison with independent wind measurement using anemometers shows good agreement.