Resonant and nonresonant mechanisms of forming space radar images of the ocean Original Research Article

The paper considers two approaches to quantitative description of the microwave backscatter from the ocean surface: resonant and nonresonant. It is shown that the theories based on the resonant (Bragg) approach do not explain all the observed phenomena at low grazing angles. A new, nonresonant mechanism of scattering, which involves scattering from steep, breaking waves, is suggested.