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Reduction and coding of synthetic aperture radar data with Fourier transformsRecently, aboard the Space Radar Laboratory (SRL), the two roles of Fourier Transforms for ocean image synthesis and surface wave analysis have been implemented with a dedicated radar processor to significantly reduce Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) ocean data before transmission to the ground. The object was to archive the SAR image spectrum, rather than the SAR image itself, to reduce data volume and capture the essential descriptors of the surface wave field. SAR signal data are usually sampled and coded in the time domain for transmission to the ground where Fourier Transforms are applied both to individual radar pulses and to long sequences of radar pulses to form two-dimensional images. High resolution images of the ocean often contain no striking features and subtle image modulations by wind generated surface waves are only apparent when large ocean regions are studied, with Fourier transforms, to reveal periodic patterns created by wind stress over the surface wave field. Major ocean currents and atmospheric instability in coastal environments are apparent as large scale modulations of SAR imagery. This paper explores the possibility of computing complex Fourier spectrum codes representing SAR images, transmitting the coded spectra to Earth for data archives and creating scenes of surface wave signatures and air-sea interactions via inverse Fourier transformations with ground station processors.
Document ID
19960008285
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Tilley, David G.
(Tilley (David G.) Elkridge, MD, United States)
Date Acquired
September 6, 2013
Publication Date
October 1, 1995
Publication Information
Publication: NASA. Goddard Space Flight Center, The 1995 Science Information Management and Data Compression Workshop
Subject Category
Computer Programming And Software
Accession Number
96N15451
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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