Remote sensing of the ocean waveheight spectrum using synthetic-aperture-radar imagesThe paper discusses problems in the detection and measurement of ocean waves from their SAR images, in particular the measurement of the wavenumber spectrum of ocean-wave-height fluctuations. Comparisons on a limited set of pitch-roll buoy and SEASAT SAR measurements during the 1978 JASIN experiment reveal that degradation of SAR resolution caused by wave orbital motion is a crucial factor in the detection of waves by SAR images. Thus, waves with small slopes traveling perpendicular to the SAR flight path are more easily detected than waves with large slopes traveling along the flight path. Although the SAR estimates in this comparison were found to contain significant biases, they were in rough agreement with buoy measurements, provided the ocean wavelength was between about 120 and 400 m and the ocean wave direction was not approximately along the SAR flight path.
Document ID
19820063943
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Proceedings
Authors
Vesecky, J. F. (Stanford Univ. CA, United States)
Assal, H. M. (Stanford University Stanford, CA, United States)
Stewart, R. H. (California Institute of Technology, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena; California University La Jolla, CA, United States)