Can internal waves be used to detect organic films from space?

A method for remote determination of the presence of surfactants in the sea surface microlayer based on observations of internal wave (IW) signatures on satellite radar imagery is proposed. It is shown that small variations of surfactant concentration that occur on shelf zones caused by tidal flow can modulate the surface signatures of IWs, producing different signatures according to the local film concentration and wind speed. An analysis and classification of ERS SAR signatures of short-period IWs on the Iberian shelf is presented.