Comparison of data and model slope statistics for a current convergence feature

During the NRL Hi Res experiment (Mied et al., 1992), several regions of anomalously high radar backscatter were observed. These “rip” features have been modeled as current convergence regions, based on ship-borne current measurements. Ship mounted optical data have been analyzed to produce slope statistics in one and two dimensions (Raiser and Lindemann, 1992). These measurements show that in the region of the rip, the measured slopes exhibit an isotropic spatial distribution that is absent in other regions. Slope spectral measurements during a transit of the rip were constructed from ship based optical data using a modified Stilwell technique. The authors have calculated the slope spectra using the wave action equation in the ERIM Ocean Model (Lyzenga and Bennett, 1988). They present a preliminary comparison between the data and the model results