Open AccessValidation of RADARSAT‐2 fully polarimetric SAR measurements of ocean surface waves
Author(s) -
Zhang Biao,
Perrie Will,
He Yijun
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: oceans
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.67
H-Index - 298
eISSN - 2156-2202
pISSN - 0148-0227
DOI - 10.1029/2009jc005887
Subject(s) - buoy , azimuth , polarimetry , polarization (electrochemistry) , synthetic aperture radar , wind wave , geology , remote sensing , wavelength , radar , surface wave , wave height , significant wave height , radar imaging , geodesy , optics , physics , scattering , telecommunications , oceanography , chemistry , computer science
C band RADARSAT‐2 fully polarimetric (fine quad‐polarization mode, HH+VV+HV+VH) synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images are used to validate ocean surface waves measurements using the polarimetric SAR wave retrieval algorithm, without estimating the complex hydrodynamic modulation transfer function, even under large radar incidence angles. The linearly polarized radar backscatter cross sections (RBCS) are first calculated with the copolarization (HH, VV) and cross‐polarization (HV, VH) RBCS and the polarization orientation angle. Subsequently, in the azimuth direction, the vertically and linearly polarized RBCS are used to measure the wave slopes. In the range direction, we combine horizontally and vertically polarized RBCS to estimate wave slopes. Taken together, wave slope spectra can be derived using estimated wave slopes in azimuth and range directions. Wave parameters extracted from the resultant wave slope spectra are validated with colocated National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) buoy measurements (wave periods, wavelengths, wave directions, and significant wave heights) and are shown to be in good agreement.