Measurements Of Near Shore Ocean Currents Using Interiterferometric Aperture Radar

Abstract

Microwave remote sensing of the ocean surface using Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) is of great interest due to its high resolution and the potential of nearly instantaneous coverage of large areas. The present paper reports on measurements of ocean surface currents based on imaging of the nearshore regions of the Monterey Bay using an interferometric SAR (INSAR). The method is a modification of the conventional SAR which employs two spatially separated antennas. This modification provides direct mapping of the observed surface velocities. In particular, spatial distribution of the longshore current velocity is presented.