Features of X-Band Radar Backscattering Simulation Based on the Ocean Environmental Parameters in China Offshore Seas

• Main Authors: Tao Wu, Zhensen Wu, Jiaji Wu, Gwanggil Jeon, Liwen Ma
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2018-07-01
• Series: Sensors
• Subjects: China Offshore Seas; ERA-interim reanalysis data; ocean environmental parameters; finite depth sea spectrum; radar backscattering coefficient
• Online Access: http://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/18/8/2450

The X-band marine radar has been employed as a remote sensing tool for sea state monitoring. However, there are few literatures about sea spectra considering both the wave parameters and short wind-wave spectra in China Offshore Seas, which are of theoretical and practical significance. Based on the wave parameters acquired from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts reanalysis data (ERA-Interim reanalysis data) during 36 months from 2015 to 2017, a finite depth sea spectrum considering both wind speeds and ocean environmental parameters is established in this study. The wave spectrum is then built into a modified two-scale model, which can be related to the ocean environmental parameters (wind speeds and wave parameters). The final results are the mean backscattering coefficients over the variety of sea states at a given wind speed. As the model predicts, the monthly maximum backscattering coefficients in different seas change slowly (within 4 dB). In addition, the differences of the backscattering coefficients in different seas are quite small during azimuthal angles of 0° to 90° and 270° to 360° with a relative error within 1.5 dB at low wind speed (5 m/s) and 2 dB at high wind speed (10 m/s). With the method in the paper, a corrected result from the experiment can be achieved based on the relative error analysis in different conditions.