Microwave scattering from a slightly rough surface of a medium possessing a finite large dielectric constant, and applications to an air-water scattering

A theory for electromagnetic scattering from a slightly rough surface is developed that is based on application of an effective boundary condition. The theory generalizes previous approaches that apply only to the infinite dielectric constant (ε→∞) limit to cases of finite but large ε. Also, the theory yields the known results by J. Wright. In a particularly important case of scattering from the ocean, the backscatter cross-section is dramatically different from that calculated for ε→∞ over a wide range of incident angles, for both vertical and horizontal polarization