Microwave scattering from 3-D breaking water wave crests

An MLFMA numerical electromagnetics code has been used to find the microwave backscattering from 3D surface profiles approximating the crests of intermediate-scale breaking water waves. The test surfaces were synthesized by azimuthally aligning numerically generated 2D crests that represent the wave in various stages of breaking. The results show that the cancellation of vertically polarized backscatter (VV) that was previously predicted with 2D targets appears with the 3D crests when specular reflection points on both the breaker jet and the cavity under the jet are visible. Horizontally polarized backscatter (HH) undergoes constructive interference in this case, leading to strong super events where the HH radar cross-section exceeds that at VV