Ocean remote sensing research is conducted by scientists in the APL Space Department's Ocean Remote Sensing Group to solve problems associated with civilian and military applications of remote sensing in the marine environment. The largest efforts have concentrated on the extraction of oceanographic information from synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery and applications of radar altimetry. Underlying both of these efforts is a substantial basic research program addressing the physics of microwave scattering from the sea surface. Numerous projects associated with applications of optical and infrared remote sensing techniques have also been part of the research program. Sponsoring agencies have included NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Office of Naval Research (ONR), the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), and various Navy offices. You can read about some of our projects in an article published in the Johns Hopkins APL Technical Digest.

During the past 5 years, staff members of the Ocean Remote Sensing Group have published 106 papers in scientific journals and conference proceedings, and have made 73 additional presentations at scientific meetings and colloquia.

Our research interests and areas of expertise include:

• High-Resolution Coastal Winds from SAR Images
  • Algorithm development and validation.
  • Comparisons with scatterometer and in situ measurements.
  • Near real-time demonstrations of generation and distribution of data products.
• SAR Imaging of Ocean Waves
  • Effects of imaging processes and illumination geometry.
  • Tracking of large swell from storms.
• Radar Signatures of Ocean Internal Waves
  • Simulation of radar signatures using wave-current interaction theory and radar scattering models.
  • Effects of atmospheric stability on signature observability.
  • Inference of density profile and currents from signature characteristics.
• Radar Imaging of Ocean Features
  • Radar backscatter amplitude and phase statistics.
  • Influence of atmospheric conditions on radar signature observability.
  • Correlation of wave roughness variations in SAR images with surface temperature and ocean color patterns.
• Along-Track Interferometric SAR
  • High-resolution mapping of ocean surface current fields.
  • Studies of time decorrelation and Doppler spectra of microwave backscatter from the ocean
  surface.
• Radar Altimetry
  • New altimeter concepts and applications.
  • Mapping of surface dynamic height from currents and eddies.
  • Validation of wind and wave data.
• Geophysical Information Extraction from Reflected GPS Signals
  • Surface wind vector.
  • Sea surface height variations.
  • System performance simulations.
• Remote Sensor Data Assimilation
  • Assimilation of altimeter data into ocean forecast models.
  • Assimilation of SAR spectra into wave forecast models.
  • Assimilation of SAR-derived wind vectors into wind forecast models.
• Ocean Surveillance
  • Ship wake signatures.
  • Surveillance applications of EO/IR/radar technology.
  • Sensor performance models.
• At-Sea Experiments
  • Experiment design, test operations, and data analysis.
  • In situ measurements of waves, currents, and meteorological parameters.
  • Analysis and interpretation of remote sensor information.
• Satellite Data Reception and Analysis
  • Automated reception of NOAA AVHRR imagery at APL receiving station and processing of sea surface temperature images.
  • Real-time posting of East Coast and Gulf of Mexico SST images on World Wide Web site.