Surface current measurements using marine radars

Within this paper we investigate the possibilities of measuring surface currents utilizing incoherent and coherent microwave radar operating at X-band near grazing incidence. The measured radar backscatter enables to measure the surface waves in space and time and therefore the surface current via the dispersion relation of surface waves. The Doppler velocities measured by the radar are modulated by contributions from the wind, current as well as waves and therefore enable to obtain additional information on the surface currents and surface waves.