Radar Backscatter from the Sea Controlled Experiments

Abstract

This is the final report on ONR Grant N00014-89-J-3022. Since most of the work was in journal articles, conference proceedings, and reports, this report is brief. Work continued, and was largely concluded, on analysis of the TOWARD, SAXON-CLT, and NILDEX data sets. Comparison between optical and radio measurements of ripple spectra at TOWARD showed favorable results. Although the wind direction was usually unfavorable for SAXON-CLT, we obtained useful data on modulation in the crosswind direction. We also demonstrated that a vector slope gauge can work, but for logistic reasons its deployment made its footprint close to the tower. Hence, the data are useful only for proof of concept, not for oceanographic application. A new theory of SAR imaging of the ocean was developed. It incorporates elements of previous theories, but shows an improved way to find out the effects of signal modulations on the observed spectra. It confirms, by a different method, the results from several other theoretical and experimental studies on processor focus adjustment. These show optimum image contrast occurs for along-track wave motion when the processor is set to (phase velocity)/2. The method of analysis used allowed closer examination of the basis for the two-scale (Bragg resonance with slope modulation) model for ocean backscatter. The results cast some doubt on the validity of the Bragg-scatter model for explaining many observed phenomena.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Nov 01, 1990
Accession Number
ADA229847

Entities

People

  • Richard K. Moore

Organizations

  • University of Kansas

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Advanced Electronics

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Backscattering
  • Computer Programs
  • Control Systems
  • Data Sets
  • Military Research
  • Millimeter Wave Radar
  • Millimeter Waves
  • Modulation
  • Ocean Waves
  • Phase Velocity
  • Power Amplifiers
  • Radar
  • Radar Cross Sections
  • Radar Imaging
  • Radar Signals
  • Synthetic Aperture Radar
  • Waves

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Atmospheric Science / Meteorology, specifically Wind Wave Turbulence.
  • Radar Systems Engineering.
  • Theoretical Analysis.