Investigation of perturbing action of atmospheric and internal oceanic processes on the waved sea surface using ocean remote sensing data

Results of long-term remote sensing experiments performed between 1977-1992 by the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences in the northwestern Pacific and on the continental shelf off the eastern coast of the USA are presented. They have revealed dramatic differences in radar images of the ocean taken at the two polarizations. It appears that vertically (VV) polarized images are most sensitive to surface wind stress, while horizontally polarized ones appear to detect mainly specular point reflectors, even at very large incidence angles. Hence VV-polarization often senses atmospheric effects in the planetary boundary layer, while HH-polarization is sensitive to processes in the sea itself. This will lead to the classification and identification of sources of radar signal backscatter modulation according to their atmospheric or oceanic origin.