On the Generalized Curvature Ocean Surface Scattering Model for the NRCS and Doppler Frequency and its application to ocean surface wind retrieval from Synthetic Aperture Radar data

Abstract

Ocean wind monitoring is an integral part of weather forecasting, maritime shipping lane planning, offshore wind research, as well as the study of climate patterns. Satellite radar instruments, such as Synthetic Aperture Radars (SAR), can help achieve this important task by monitoring the wind conditions over the sea surface. Using specially developed functions, called geophysical model functions, wind speed and direction can be inferred from the radar measurements. In this thesis, we present an alternative approach using two key parameters from the SAR instruments to infer wind measurements from SAR data. Such a procedure is made possible using both a backscatter and Doppler models based on an electromagnetic scattering model developed by Geir Engen, Ida Friestad-Pedersen, Harald Johnsen, and Tanos Elfouhaily. We also revisit and improve these two geophysical model functions by including a more realistic description of the sea surface.