Radiometric Model of the Sea Surface in the Presence of Currents

A consistent radiometric model of the ocean is an important part of the interpretation of passive microwave radiometric data. Empirical relations between measured brightness temperature and environmental parameters such as wind, surface temperature, salinity, etc., are often used for processing satellite and airborne data. There are some difficulties when using these approaches when a nonstationary environment is being studied, such as wind and/or surface currents that vary in time and space. In this case, a consistent model based on physical parameters of the sea surface and atmosphere is needed. We consider a radiometric model of the ocean based on a wave-action balance equation. Following Kudryavtsev and Makin, we modified the source term to account for parasitic ripples. Along with surface roughness, the model provides wave-breaking statistics and foam coverage, which is especially important for the microwave radiometry due to high foam emissivity. Comparison between the model prediction and the experimental observations shows a good agreement.