Microwave emission and reflection from the wind-roughened sea surface at 6.7 and 18.6 GHz

Microwave radiometric observations were made with specially designed microwave radiometers at 6.7 and 18.6 GHz, and the results were compared with those of other investigators, over the frequency range of 1-40 GHz. Dependences of sea surface emission and reflection on wind speed, frequency, incidence angle, and polarization type are discussed in detail, following discussions of the reflective processes of sky radiation and error estimation in the retrieval of mainlobe-averaged brightness temperature. The wind speed sensitivity of brightness temperature, emissivity, and reflectivity is formulated with respect to frequency and incidence angle in each polarization. The brightness temperature, emissivity and reflectivity at arbitrary wind speed are derived employing this formulation. Based on the results obtained it is suggested that the 10-19-GHz band may be optimal for satellite microwave radiometer observations of sea-surface wind