Ocean wave spectra derived from Shuttle Imaging Radar‐B imagery and surface measurements

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Abstract
During the Shuttle Imaging Radar‐B (SIR‐B) mission in October 1984, synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images were taken off the coast of Japan. Wave spectra derived from SIR‐B imagery were compared with simultaneous wave buoy observations. Waves at the time of flight were nearly perpendicular to the SAR flight direction and were composed of two major systems: a swell of about 200‐m wavelength and wind waves with 70‐m wavelength. Both the swell and wind wave peaks were identifiable in the SAR image spectrum after stationary response correction. Peak frequencies derived from SIR‐B images and from the wave gauge agreed satisfactorily. However, the relative magnitudes of the peaks are not in accordance with the surface measurements. Possible reasons for the disagreement are discussed.

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