Directional Distribution of Ocean Surface Roughness Observed in Microwave Radar Backscattering

Abstract

The directional distribution of ocean surface roughness is examined using the Ku, C and L band microwave radar backscattering. The parameters characterizing the upwind-downwind and upwind-crosswind variations show nonmonotonic dependence on wind speed based on the analysis of Ku, C and L band geophysical model functions (GMFs). A similarity relationship is derived from the GMFs of the three frequency bands to serve as the foundation of modeling the ocean surface roughness directional distribution function. The quantitative impacts on the magnitude and directional properties of the calculated radar backscattering cross section from using different directional distribution functions are investigated. The result indicates that it is important to include both upwind-downwind and upwind-crosswind variations in the directional distribution function in order to correctly model the radar scattering from the ocean surface.