Use of Spaceborne Synthetic Aperture Radar for Offshore Wave Analysis

Abstract

Spaceborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) is able to provide sea state information on a global scale by means of the directional wave spectrum. Recent developed algorithms have been developed to obtain additional information in the spatial domain rather than the spectral domain. These methods permit to detect of individual wave heights, wave groupiness in open sea areas, as well as surface wind fields. This work shows the capabilities of spaceborne SAR to extract offshore information about individual waves and wave grouping for areas of about 100 x 100 square kilometers. The methods are applied to ERS-2 SAR images of the North Sea over areas close to the location of some oil platforms. Results obtained in the vicinity of the Ekofisk platform are shown. In addition, ERS-2 SAR images taken on January 1, 1995 over the Draupner platform in the North Sea are analyzed. These SAR images were taken at the approximate time when the wave record known as „new year wave“ was measured.