Author(s): Fabio Dentale; Eugenio Pugliese Carratelli; Karim Rakha; Ferdinando Reale
Linked Author(s):
Keywords: SAR; Wave spectrum; Satellite bathymetry; Enclosed se
Abstract: While Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite wave data are routinely applied over the oceans to extract spectral shapes, their application over enclosed seas is limited by their low resolution. No spectral information can presently be gathered about wavelengths of less than about 100 meters, thus limiting their usefulness to a restricted number of situations in enclosed or semi-enclosed seas where fetch lengths are necessarily limited. Yet another important SAR application, i. e. the study and the evaluation of bathymetry effects, can be particularly difficult in enclosed seas because of the sharp variations of the sea surface conditions due to winds and coastal topography that can be very hard to interpret. The paper presents some examples of SAR data which highlight the possibility of extracting useful information even in such difficult circumstances, as long as satellite images are integrated with other data and with numerical wave simulation. Two examples are given: the first provides wave field analysis during a heavy storm in the Tyrrhenian sea during which two ESA ERS satellite passes are available; the second example deals with a storm in the Persian Golf during which two passes at a day’s distance (ERS–1 and ERS–2) clearly show shallow bottom effects.
Year: 2007