Performance of Ocean Wave Spectrometer in Detecting Ocean Wave Spectra

Performances of ocean wave spectrometer in different sea conditions are analyzed in this study by analyzing wave parameters calculated from spectra of STORM (Systeme de Teledetection pour l´Observation par Radar de la Mer). The air-borne ocean wave spectrometer-STORM, is a real-aperture radar aims to detect the directional spectrum of ocean waves using a conical-scanning beam at low incidence angles. The principle of measurement is based on the modulation of the backscattering cross-section by the slopes of sea surface due to long waves. Spectra obtained from STORM, SWAN model outputs and data from buoy measurement are compared, the compared results reveal that for swell dominant or swell with a significant wave height large than about 2 m, the spectra retrieved from STORM data describe the sea surface quite well.