Ardhuin Fabrice, Collard F., Chapron B., Girard-Ardhuin F., Guitton G., Mouche A., Stopa J. E. (2015). Estimates of ocean wave heights and attenuation in sea ice using the SAR wave mode on Sentinel-1A. Geophysical Research Letters, 42 (7), p. 2317-2325. ISSN 0094-8276.
Titre du document
Estimates of ocean wave heights and attenuation in sea ice using the SAR wave mode on Sentinel-1A
Ardhuin Fabrice, Collard F., Chapron B., Girard-Ardhuin F., Guitton G., Mouche A., Stopa J. E.
Source
Geophysical Research Letters, 2015,
42 (7), p. 2317-2325 ISSN 0094-8276
Swell evolution from the open ocean into sea ice is poorly understood, in particular the amplitude attenuation expected from scattering and dissipation. New synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data from Sentinel-1A wave mode reveal intriguing patterns of bright oscillating lines shaped like instant noodles. We investigate cases in which the oscillations are in the azimuth direction, around a straight line in the range direction. This observation is interpreted as the distortion by the SAR processing of crests from a first swell, due to the presence of a second swell. Since deviations from a straight line should be proportional to the orbital velocity toward the satellite, swell height can be estimated, from 1.5 to 5m in the present case. The evolution of this 13s period swell across the ice pack is consistent with an exponential attenuation on a length scale of 200km.
