Polarimetric Remote Sensing of Ocean Waves

Polarimetric remote sensing provides information about imaged scenes which cannot be obtained from luminance and spectral measurements alone, such as surface orientation, surface roughness, and index of refraction. Exploiting the polarization state of light reflected off of the ocean surface will enable measurement of the two-dimensional slope field of the surface. From this measurement, the significant wave height of the waves can be calculated. This paper presents an initial investigation of remotely-sensed multi-spectral polarimetric time-series imagery collected over a deep-water buoy using Area Associates' Airborne Remote Optical Spotlight System-Multi Spectral Polarimeter (AROSS-MSP). In addition to preliminary data analysis, we describe a model of the expected polarimetric signature of ocean waves as measured by a remote sensing electro-optical imager. Comparisons between the measured polarimetric data and the modeled polarization signature agree fairly well.