The University of Southampton
University of Southampton Institutional Repository

Remote sensing of oceanic current features by synthetic aperture radar - achievements and perspectives

Remote sensing of oceanic current features by synthetic aperture radar - achievements and perspectives
Remote sensing of oceanic current features by synthetic aperture radar - achievements and perspectives
It is generally accepted that synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images can be quite useful for a better understanding of hydrodynamic processes in the ocean, because they provide valuable information on the location and spatial scales of oceanic features such as fronts, internal waves, and eddies. However, the retrieval of actual surface current fields from the shape and modulation depth of radar signatures is a much more challening problem, since the imaging mechanism is a complex and nonlinear two-step mechanism which cannot be inverted easily. In this article we review the state-of-the-art in modeling radar signatures of current features and we present the concept of an iterative scheme for inverting radar images into current fields, which will be implemented within the framework of the European project MARSAIS. We estimate the accuracy and spatial resolution of the proposed remote sensing system on the basis of findings from recent case studies and some dedicated simulations. According to the results of our analyses, it should be possible to retrieve spatial surface current variations and current gradients from a typical spaceborne C band SAR image with an accuracy on the order of 20% and a spatial resoution on the order of 50m.
remote sensing, oceanographic survey, synthetic aperture radar, sea current, radar signature, back scattering, modeling, inverse problem
661-671
Romeiser, R.
bd04441f-1b10-446e-bcc0-b8b209c14075
Ufermann, S.
19f2a5e8-f9e6-4cb2-a107-dcb021094cb1
Kern, S.
6b96426b-850e-45ee-9af9-d446c927a182
Romeiser, R.
bd04441f-1b10-446e-bcc0-b8b209c14075
Ufermann, S.
19f2a5e8-f9e6-4cb2-a107-dcb021094cb1
Kern, S.
6b96426b-850e-45ee-9af9-d446c927a182

Romeiser, R., Ufermann, S. and Kern, S. (2001) Remote sensing of oceanic current features by synthetic aperture radar - achievements and perspectives. Annales of Telecommunications, 56 (11/12), 661-671.

Record type: Article

Abstract

It is generally accepted that synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images can be quite useful for a better understanding of hydrodynamic processes in the ocean, because they provide valuable information on the location and spatial scales of oceanic features such as fronts, internal waves, and eddies. However, the retrieval of actual surface current fields from the shape and modulation depth of radar signatures is a much more challening problem, since the imaging mechanism is a complex and nonlinear two-step mechanism which cannot be inverted easily. In this article we review the state-of-the-art in modeling radar signatures of current features and we present the concept of an iterative scheme for inverting radar images into current fields, which will be implemented within the framework of the European project MARSAIS. We estimate the accuracy and spatial resolution of the proposed remote sensing system on the basis of findings from recent case studies and some dedicated simulations. According to the results of our analyses, it should be possible to retrieve spatial surface current variations and current gradients from a typical spaceborne C band SAR image with an accuracy on the order of 20% and a spatial resoution on the order of 50m.

This record has no associated files available for download.

More information

Published date: November 2001
Additional Information: Special issue: Teledetection satellitaire, ed. S. Menasce
Keywords: remote sensing, oceanographic survey, synthetic aperture radar, sea current, radar signature, back scattering, modeling, inverse problem

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 17518
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/17518
PURE UUID: e8189b1a-8459-4f3b-a84d-713cc474cd67

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 19 Oct 2005
Last modified: 08 Jan 2022 03:44

Export record

Contributors

Author: R. Romeiser
Author: S. Ufermann
Author: S. Kern

Download statistics

Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.

View more statistics

Atom RSS 1.0 RSS 2.0

Contact ePrints Soton: eprints@soton.ac.uk

ePrints Soton supports OAI 2.0 with a base URL of http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/cgi/oai2

This repository has been built using EPrints software, developed at the University of Southampton, but available to everyone to use.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we will assume that you are happy to receive cookies on the University of Southampton website.

×