Predicting dangerous ocean waves with spaceborne synthetic aperture radar

It is pointed out that catastrophes, related to the occurrence of strong winds and large ocean waves, can consume more lives and property than most naval battles. The generation of waves by wind are considered, Pierson et al. (1955) have incorporated statistical concepts into a wave forecast model. The concept of an 'ocean wave spectrum' was introduced, with the wind acting independently on each Fourier component. However, even after 30 years of research and debate, the generation, propagation, and dissipation of the spectrum under arbitrary conditions continue to be controversial. It has now been found that spaceborne SAR has a surprising ability to precisely monitor spatially evolving wind and wave fields. Approaches to overcome certain weaknesses of the SAR method are discussed, taking into account the second Shuttle Imaging Radar experiment, and a possible long-term solution provided by Spectrasat. Spectrasat should be a low-altitude (200 to 250 km) satellite with active drag compensation.