Results of a marine radar sea clutter experiment for non-equilibrium seas

Abstract

Results are presented for an upwind-illumination, low-grazing-angle marine radar sea scatter experiment conducted in the Pacific Ocean. A wide range of wind speeds and directions resulted in nonequilibrium sea conditions, in contrast to a previous Atlantic Ocean experiment in which ocean waves were fully developed. Statistical properties of the radar echoes are parameterized by a dual-Weibull model versus wind speed and are compared with the North Atlantic data. It is concluded that the Pacific results can be regarded as a lower limit case, appropriate to random seas, whereas the North Atlantic results can be regarded as an upper limit for well-developed seas.<>