Tracking of sea and air flows from sequential satellite images by the relaxation-contour method

A method for visualizing the dynamics of water and air masses in the form of velocity fields obtained from the time series of satellite images is proposed. The method is based on the contour approach to the selection of inhomogeneities to be traced (tracers). The main criterion for choosing a tracer is the shape of the contour (geometrical context). The procedure applied for the optimal tracer selection is based on the method of relaxation labeling. The efficiency of the proposed method is estimated by comparison with that of the traditional cross-correlation approach.