Ocean surface wave measurements from fully polarimetric SAR imagery

A new method for the retrieval of ocean wave parameters from SAR imagery is developed, based on the shape-from-shading (SFS) technique. Previously, the SFS technique has been used in the reconstruction of 3D landform information from SAR images, in order to generate elevation maps of topography for land surfaces. Here, in order to retrieve ocean wave characteristics, we apply the SFS methodology, together with a method to orient the angular measurements of the azimuth slope and range slope, in the measurement of ocean surface waves. This method is applied to high resolution fine-quad polarization mode (HH, VV, VH and HV) C-band RADARSAT-2 SAR imagery, in order to retrieve ocean wave spectra and extract wave parameters. Collocated in situ buoy measurements are used to validate the reliability of this method. Results show that the method can reliably estimate wave height, dominant wave period, dominant wave length and dominant wave direction from C-band SAR images. The advantage of this method is that it does not depend on modulation transfer functions (MTFs), in order to measure ocean surface waves. This method can be used in monitoring ocean surface wave propagation through open water areas into ice-covered areas, especially the marginal ice zone (MIZ) in polar oceans.