An original analysis of the sea state bias in radar altimetry

This work deals with the analysis of the sea state bias (SSB) using a simulator that computes an altimeter return waveform from a deterministic sea surface. To simulate the SSB, the sea surface characteristics are modified in agreement with statistical and physical theories and observations. An hydrodynamic modulation is simulated according to the common observation that the average backscatter cross section is modulated along the wave profile. The skewness and the tilt modulation effects are simulated by using nonlinear sea surfaces generated by introducing wave-wave interactions between long waves.