Study of the influence of the sea surface on the observability of a man-made target in SAR images

Abstract

In order to have a good understanding of the SAR acquisition of a scene composed by a sea surface and targets (e.g. ships or offshore oil rings) the bases of the electromagnetic and hydrodynamic phenomena involved in the radar imaging of a such scene are presented. The double bounce scattering, the polarization signature modification, the echo blurring, as well as the Doppler spectrum formation are reviewed. Geophysical and radar parameters, pertinent for the SAR imaging, are chosen and the way they contribute in the simulations is discussed.