Radar signatures of oceanic and atmospheric internal waves: a comparison

Radar signatures of oceanic and atmospheric internal waves visible on spaceborne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images of the sea surface are analyzed. They are interpreted in terms of models describing the radar imaging and the dynamics of these two types of internal waves. It is shown that in some cases it is difficult to determine unambiguously whether the modulation pattern visible on these SAR is of oceanic or atmospheric origin.