MEASUREMENT OF OCEAN WAVES IN A SATELLITE PHOTOGRAPH,

Abstract

Apollo 6 photographs of the surface of the ocean, made within two hours of noon solar time are found to show wave structure of the sea with remarkable clarity. The wave length distribution has been measured from about 1000 waves in a single photograph of about 10,000 sq mi area. With better photographic definition wave height could probably also be measured from deformation of edges of cloud shadows. Using this method it would be possible to measure wave length and wave height distributions daily of all oceans, with a polar orbiting satellite carrying a television camera. (Author)

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Oct 01, 1969
Accession Number
AD0696492

Entities

People

  • L. M. Libby
  • S. S. Lawrence
  • W. F. Libby

Organizations

  • RAND Corporation

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Artificial Satellites
  • Cameras
  • Measurement
  • Ocean Waves
  • Photographic Materials
  • Photographs
  • Photography
  • Television Cameras
  • Waves

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science
  • Physics

Readers

  • Atmospheric Science / Meteorology, specifically Wind Wave Turbulence.
  • Geodesy
  • Space Exploration and Orbital Mechanics.

Technology Areas

  • Space