Based on simultaneous measurements of Ku and C bands' radar cross sections (σ0Kuandσ0C) from satellite altimetry

this paper proposes a dual-frequency approach to enhance the performance of existing wind speed algorithms

especially at high wind speeds. A simple scheme ofσ0Ku/σ0Cadjustment is developed

assuming that altimeter measured radar cross sections of Ku and C bands follow a“standard”relationship for various wind speeds under normal conditions. Rain and significant wave height(SWH) induced systematic deviations ofσ0Ku/σ0Cwith respect to their“standard”positions are observed and corrected using the proposed scheme. Validation of our results against buoy observations suggests that the dual-frequency scheme improves the accuracy of altimeter measured sea surface wind speeds by nearly 10% compared to single frequency algorithms.