A sea-surface height estimator using SAR complex imagery

The reflectivity density describing electromagnetic scattering from a "two-scale" rough surface has a phase linearly dependent on surface height. The SAR image is a complicated, partially understood transformation of this reflectivity density: but in demonstrable situations the complex image\´s phase also contains sea height information. An initial study of a surface height estimation algorithm exploiting this fact is reported here. A simulation suggests sufficient conditions for accuracy and an application to a SEASAT-SAR data record is encouraging.