Meteo-Marine Parameters and Their Variability Observed by High Resolution Satellite Radar Images

Abstract

New radar satellites image the sea surface with resolutions as high as 1 m. A large spectrum of ocean processes can be estimated using such Earth observation data. These data have been applied to investigations of geophysical processes as well as to forecast model validations and near-real-time services. The numerous processes, parameters, and features observed in high-resolution synthetic aperture radar images include winds, waves (with wavelengths as small as 30 m), oil slicks, waterline changes, changes in seabed morphology in shallow waters, wakes and bow waves of ships, underwater topography, wave energy flux along wave tracks from deep water to the coast, and breaking waves. New algorithms have been developed that are capable of taking into account fine-scale effects in coastal areas.