A C-band scatterometer for remote sensing the air-sea interface

An airborne C-band scatterometer system (C-Scat) has been developed to remotely sense ocean surface winds and improve upon the present understanding of the relationship between normalized radar cross section (NRCS) and ocean surface roughness influences such as wind speed and direction, wave height and slope, and the air-sea temperature difference. The scatterometer utilizes a unique frequency-steered microstrip array antenna that is installed beneath the fuselage of an airplane. The antenna is electronically scanned in elevation, from 20° to 50° off-nadir, and mechanically spins in azimuth. The system is capable of measuring ocean surface NRCS from altitudes as high as 25000 ft. The system is divided into four subsystems: the transmitter and receiver, the spinning antenna, the computer control and data acquisition subsystem, and the digital and analog interface electronics