Ray analysis of LGA scattering from a breaking water wave

The multipath electromagnetic scattering from a breaking water wave has been examined using a ray optical approach. The total backscattered field is determined from the energy directly backscattered from the breaking-wave plume plus multipath energy that scatters from both the plume and the front face of the wave. Both the field directly reflected from the wave front face plus that diffracted from a front-face curvature discontinuity are considered in the multipath analysis. The results are compared with the exact scattering calculated by a hybrid moment-method/geometrical-theory-of-diffraction (MM/GTD) approach. The ability of optically based multipath scattering theories to describe "sea-spike" events in low-grazing-angle (LGA) sea scattering is specifically examined.