Sea state measurements from TS-X SAR data

Abstract

An empirical algorithm XWAVE to derive significant wave height from high resolution TerraSAR-X (TS-X) and Tandem-X (TD-X) has been developed. The algorithm is created especially for spaceborne X-band SAR data without needing a priori information. TS-X scenes were acquired in the over buoys located at the coast of United States of America and Canada and including Hawaii islands. Integral wave parameters are estimated from TS-X and TD-X data by integration two-dimensional image spectra and using geophysical function, for which the parameters are calibrated. TS-X Stripmap images and in-situ buoy measurements data is used to tune geophysical model parameters. The tuning is carried out by comparisons of integral wave parameters as wave height, peak period and direction (1) and by the shape of 1-D in-situ measured spectra and 1-D integrated image spectra (2). The results show that the model can yield sea state measurements up to 5m significant wave height by TS-X SAR with an scatter index of 0.21 . The model can be used for the near real-time services to deliver sea state measurements