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A parametric model for ocean wave period from Ku band altimeter data

A parametric model for ocean wave period from Ku band altimeter data
A parametric model for ocean wave period from Ku band altimeter data
Using a large collocated data set of altimeter and buoy measurements, we examine the relationship between the altimeter Ku-band measurements of significant wave height, H s , backscatter coefficient, ? 0, and the buoy wave period. This is used to derive an empirical altimeter wave period model for TOPEX, Poseidon, Jason-1, ERS-2, Envisat, and GEOSAT follow-on. We show that there is a step change in the response of ? 0 at around 13 dB and above this value ? 0 is not related to wave period. The results are compared to algorithms proposed by two previous authors (Gommenginger et al., 2003; Quilfen et al., 2004) and examined in terms of absolute accuracy (RMS error), ability to replicate the joint distribution of wave height and period, and residual trends with various parameters. The new algorithm is shown to perform better than the previous algorithms in all metrics considered. Finally, we demonstrate that there is a limiting accuracy achievable for a function of the form f(H s , ? 0) and that our model comes close to this.
wave period, satellite altimetry, parametric model
0148-0227
C03029
Mackay, E.B.L.
01c96888-d032-42ff-b601-eef96269c4ad
Retzler, C.H.
17235f7e-0179-4490-bb17-ec8d274965ac
Challenor, P.G.
a7e71e56-8391-442c-b140-6e4b90c33547
Gommenginger, C.P.
f0db32be-34bb-44da-944b-c6b206ca4143
Mackay, E.B.L.
01c96888-d032-42ff-b601-eef96269c4ad
Retzler, C.H.
17235f7e-0179-4490-bb17-ec8d274965ac
Challenor, P.G.
a7e71e56-8391-442c-b140-6e4b90c33547
Gommenginger, C.P.
f0db32be-34bb-44da-944b-c6b206ca4143

Mackay, E.B.L., Retzler, C.H., Challenor, P.G. and Gommenginger, C.P. (2008) A parametric model for ocean wave period from Ku band altimeter data. Journal of Geophysical Research, 113 (C3), C03029. (doi:10.1029/2007JC004438).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Using a large collocated data set of altimeter and buoy measurements, we examine the relationship between the altimeter Ku-band measurements of significant wave height, H s , backscatter coefficient, ? 0, and the buoy wave period. This is used to derive an empirical altimeter wave period model for TOPEX, Poseidon, Jason-1, ERS-2, Envisat, and GEOSAT follow-on. We show that there is a step change in the response of ? 0 at around 13 dB and above this value ? 0 is not related to wave period. The results are compared to algorithms proposed by two previous authors (Gommenginger et al., 2003; Quilfen et al., 2004) and examined in terms of absolute accuracy (RMS error), ability to replicate the joint distribution of wave height and period, and residual trends with various parameters. The new algorithm is shown to perform better than the previous algorithms in all metrics considered. Finally, we demonstrate that there is a limiting accuracy achievable for a function of the form f(H s , ? 0) and that our model comes close to this.

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More information

Published date: 2008
Keywords: wave period, satellite altimetry, parametric model

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 51194
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/51194
ISSN: 0148-0227
PURE UUID: f52b3f18-f7d4-47d4-b843-7f47810acd4f

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Date deposited: 09 May 2008
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 10:15

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Contributors

Author: E.B.L. Mackay
Author: C.H. Retzler
Author: P.G. Challenor
Author: C.P. Gommenginger

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