scholarly journals Ka-Band Radar Cross-Section of Breaking Wind Waves

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 1929
Author(s):  
Yury Yu. Yurovsky ◽  
Vladimir N. Kudryavtsev ◽  
Semyon A. Grodsky ◽  
Bertrand Chapron
Keyword(s):  
Cross Section ◽  
Wind Waves ◽  
Radar Cross Section ◽  
Breaking Waves ◽  
Sea Surface ◽  
Breaking Wave ◽  
Geometric Optics ◽  
Ka Band ◽  
Radar Measurements ◽  
Crest Length

The effective normalized radar cross section (NRCS) of breaking waves, σwb, is empirically derived based on joint synchronized Ka-band radar and video records of the sea surface from a research tower. The σwb is a key parameter that, along with the breaker footprint fraction, Q, defines the contribution of non-polarized backscattering, NP =σwbQ, to the total sea surface NRCS. Combined with the right representation of the regular Bragg and specular backscattering components, the NP component is fundamental to model and interpret sea surface radar measurements. As the first step, the difference between NRCS values for breaking and non-breaking conditions is scaled with the optically-observed Q and compared with the geometric optics model of breaker backscattering. Optically-derived Q might not be optimal to represent the effect of breaking waves on the radar measurements. Alternatively, we rely on the breaking crest length that is firmly detected by the video technique and the empirically estimated breaker decay (inverse wavelength) scale in the direction of breaking wave propagation. A simplified model of breaker NRCS is then proposed using the geometric optics approach. This semi-analytical model parameterizes the along-wave breaker decay from reported breaker roughness spectra, obtained in laboratory experiments with mechanically-generated breakers. These proposed empirical breaker NRCS estimates agree satisfactorily with observations.

scholarly journals Ka-Band Dual Copolarized Empirical Model for the Sea Surface Radar Cross Section

2017 ◽  
Vol 55 (3) ◽  
pp. 1629-1647 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yury Yu Yurovsky ◽  
Vladimir N. Kudryavtsev ◽  
Semyon A. Grodsky ◽  
Bertrand Chapron
Keyword(s):  
Cross Section ◽  
Empirical Model ◽  
Radar Cross Section ◽  
Sea Surface ◽  
Ka Band

scholarly journals The Role of Micro Breaking of Small-Scale Wind Waves in Radar Backscattering from Sea Surface

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (24) ◽  
pp. 4159
Author(s):  
Irina A. Sergievskaya ◽  
Stanislav A. Ermakov ◽  
Aleksey V. Ermoshkin ◽  
Ivan A. Kapustin ◽  
Olga V. Shomina ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wind Waves ◽  
Breaking Waves ◽  
Sea Surface ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Breaking Wave ◽  
Generation Process ◽  
Bragg Scattering ◽  
Radar Backscattering ◽  
Radar Sensing ◽  
The Impact

The study of the microwave scattering mechanisms of the sea surface is extremely important for the development of radar sensing methods. Some time ago, Bragg (resonance) scattering of electromagnetic waves from the sea surface was proposed as the main mechanism of radar backscattering at moderate incidence angles of microwaves. However, it has been recently confirmed that Bragg scattering is often unable to correctly explain observational data and that some other physical mechanisms should be taken into consideration. The newly introduced additional scattering mechanism was characterized as non-polarized, or non-Bragg scattering, from quasi-specular facets appearing due to breaking wave crests, the latter usually occurring in moderate and strong winds. In this paper, it was determined experimentally that such non-polarized radar backscattering appeared not only for rough sea conditions in which wave crests strongly break and “white caps” occur, but also at very low wind velocities close to their threshold values for the wave generation process. The experiments were performed using two polarized Doppler radars. The experiments demonstrated that a polarization ratio, which characterizes relative contributions of non-polarized and Bragg components to the total backscatter, changed slightly with wind velocity and wind direction. Detailed analysis of radar Doppler shifts revealed two types of scatterers responsible for the non-polarized component. One type of scatterer, moving with the velocities of decimeter-scale wind waves, determined radar backscattering at low winds. We identified these scatterers as “microbreakers” and related them to nonlinear features in the profile of decimeter-scale waves, like bulges, toes and parasitic capillary ripples. The scatterers of the second type were associated with strong breaking, moved with the phase velocities of meter-scale breaking waves and appeared at moderate winds additionally to the “microbreakers”. Along with strong breakers, the impact of microbreaking in non-polarized backscattering at moderate winds remained significant; specifically the microbreakers were found to be responsible for about half of the non-polarized component of the radar return. The presence of surfactant films on the sea surface led to a significant suppression of the small-scale non-Bragg scattering and practically did not change the non-Bragg scatterer speed. This effect was explained by the fact that the nonlinear structures associated with dm-scale waves were strongly reduced in the presence of a film due to the cascade mechanism, even if the reduction of the amplitude of dm waves was weak. At the same time, the velocities of non-Bragg scatterers remained practically the same as in non-slick areas since the phase velocity of dm waves was not affected by the film.

scholarly journals The Mono/Bistatic SAR Imaging Simulation of Sea Surface with Breaking Waves Based on a Refined Facet Scattering Field Model

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Ye Zhao ◽  
Wen-Tao Guan ◽  
Peng-Ju Yang
Keyword(s):  
Field Model ◽  
Grazing Incidence ◽  
Breaking Waves ◽  
Sea Surface ◽  
Breaking Wave ◽  
Sea State ◽  
Bistatic Sar ◽  
Scattering Field ◽  
Sar Imaging ◽  
Imaging Simulation

In order to analyze the scattering characteristics of sea surface under high sea state, a complete scattering model of sea surface considering breaking wave is established in this study based on the refined facet scattering field model (RFSFM) and the scattering theory of breaking wave. On the basis of this model, the influence of breaking waves on the mono/bistatic SAR imaging of sea surface at HH and VV polarization is studied. The results show that with the increase in wind speed, the coverage of breaking wave increases obviously and the consideration of breaking wave has a good correction for the scattering coefficient at HH polarization under grazing incidence; however, for VV polarization, the effect of breaking wave is very small.

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