The ERS SAR Wave Mode – A Breakthrough in global ocean wave observations

Abstract

The first European Remotes Sensing satellite ERS-1, launched on 17th August 1991, was conceived in the 1980’s in a period of growing scientific and public awareness of the need to better understand, monitor and manage the planet earth. The dangers of environmental degradation, the alarming increase in the rate of loss of species, and the threat of irreversible major climate change had emphasized the need to treat the earth, on which human civilization depends, as an integrated system. Satellites provided a unique opportunity to obtain the necessary global, continuous data sets. And an ocean satellite would clearly be needed as a key component of an integrated satellite earth observation system in order to monitor the ocean-atmosphere interface, which covers more than two-thirds of the earth’s surface.