Estimation of sea surface topography with interferometric radar

• Main Author: Eshbaugh, James Vernon
• Language: ENG
• Published: ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst 2000
• Subjects: Electrical engineering|Remote sensing
• Online Access: https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations/AAI9978494

This dissertation presents the design and initial experimental results of a second generation FOcused Phased Array Imaging Radar (FOPAIR-II) demonstrating its capability to measure areas on the order of 20 meters x 20 meters with 0.375 meter range resolution and 1° beamwidth. An analysis of the error budget for the given geometry is presented, yielding a worst case height bias of 4.5 cm and an expression for determination of the uncertainty given signal-to-noise ratio and the temporal lag between interferometer measurements. The processing algorithm is shown and a method for distortion removal is described based on basic assumptions of the properties of the ocean surface over a time average. Comparison of significant wave height measurements with the in-situ sensors shows a correlation of 0.92, with a slope of 0.97 and an intercept of −0.001 meters. Absolute height measurement comparison reveals a correlation between the radar estimated absolute height and a nearby tide gauge of 0.94, with a slope of 1.60 and an intercept of 0.75 meters.