INSAR imagery of surface currents, wave fields, and fronts

The authors demonstrate the ability of interferometric radar imagery to determine both relative and absolute surface velocities in the open ocean. Absolute phase calibration is accomplished by noting the azimuthal displacement of range-travelling targets-demonstrating for the first time that under f...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:IEEE transactions on geoscience and remote sensing 1995-09, Vol.33 (5), p.1117-1123
Main Authors: Ainsworth, T.L., Chubb, S.R., Fusina, R.A., Goldstein, R.M., Jansen, R.W., Jong-Sen Lee, Valenzuela, G.R.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Calibration
Earth, ocean, space
Exact sciences and technology
External geophysics
Image resolution
Oceans
Physics of the oceans
Radar imaging
Sea surface
Spaceborne radar
Spatial resolution
Streaming media
Surface waves
Surface waves, tides and sea level. Seiches
Synthetic aperture radar interferometry
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Summary:The authors demonstrate the ability of interferometric radar imagery to determine both relative and absolute surface velocities in the open ocean. Absolute phase calibration is accomplished by noting the azimuthal displacement of range-travelling targets-demonstrating for the first time that under favourable circumstances phase calibration can be achieved in open-ocean in the absence of ground truth. The high resolution of radar imagery permits observation of sharp velocity discontinuities, e.g. the Gulf Stream boundary and the wave field. The recent SIR-C/X-SAR shuttle missions dramatically emphasize the experimental and observational aspects of space-based radar. The combination of absolute velocities, high spatial resolution, and wide-area coverage suggest that interferometric radar imagery can provide a unique and powerful aid both for studies of global circulation patterns and detailed analysis of slope/shelf water interactions with ocean currents. In particular, the authors employ this measurement of the surface currents and wave field near a velocity front to help refine and bound results of their modeling of calculated radar images of the front. The results of this paper are compared with available ground truth.< >
ISSN:0196-2892
1558-0644
DOI:10.1109/36.469475