Atmospheric signatures in SAR ocean imagery

Author

Beal, R.C. ; Thompson, D.R. ; Young, G.S. ; Shirer, H.N. ; Sikora, T.D.

Author_Institution

Appl. Phys. Lab., Johns Hopkins Univ., Laurel, MD, USA

Volume

2

fYear

1996

fDate

27-31 May 1996

Firstpage

896

Abstract

This paper reviews some of the important steps necessary to interpret multiscale atmospheric phenomena in SAR imagery, using examples from ERS-1. In some cases, it may be practical, with a combination of SAR imagery and conventional meteorological analysis, to effectively specify the MABL, including its depth and stability, surface wind speed and direction, and sea-surface stress or friction velocity, all on spatial scales down to a km or less. Such an application of SAR would represent a significant advance over conventional scatterometry, with typical spatial resolution of >20 km. This resolution is insufficient to resolve the turbulence structures in the MABL, and therefore also insufficient to deduce the surface wind corrected for atmospheric stability

Keywords

atmospheric boundary layer; atmospheric techniques; atmospheric turbulence; backscatter; electromagnetic wave scattering; meteorological radar; radar cross-sections; remote sensing by radar; spaceborne radar; synthetic aperture radar; wind; ERS-1; SAR ocean imagery; air sea interaction; atmosphere; atmospheric signature; depth; friction velocity; marine boundary layer; measurement technique; meteorological radar; multiscale atmospheric phenomena; radar remote sensing; sea surface; sea-surface stress; spaceborne radar; stability; surface wind speed; synthetic aperture radar; turbulence; wind direction; Friction; Image analysis; Meteorology; Oceans; Radar measurements; Sea surface; Spatial resolution; Stability analysis; Stress; Wind speed;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium, 1996. IGARSS '96. 'Remote Sensing for a Sustainable Future.', International

Conference_Location

Lincoln, NE

Print_ISBN

0-7803-3068-4

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/IGARSS.1996.516513

Filename

516513