Measurements of ocean surface spectrum from an aircraft using the two-frequency microwave resonance technique

The present investigation is concerned with the results of a two-frequency (Delta k) microwave radar experiment conducted from an aircraft and aimed primarily at the development of remote sensing techniques to measure ocean surface wave spectral characteristics. The experiment was conducted as part of the Maritime Remote Sensing (MARSEN) project in the North Sea during the autumn of 1979. The objective was to demonstrate the feasibility of and study the performance of the Delta k technique from a higher altitude platform, at shallower incidence angles, and at higher Doppler velocities than earlier stationary platform experiments allowed. A quantitative engineering evaluation of the results of two comprehensive flights is provided, and the qualitative significance of the results is discussed from a geophysical point of view in terms of the existing theory.