Investigation of joint probability density function of high-resolution VV- and HH-polarized X-band sea backscatter obtained through direct numerical simulations

Joint statistical properties of range-resolved sea backscatter at different polarizations are investigated using large Monte Carlo ensembles of numerically generated data. The simulations are based on the first-principles boundary integral equation technique in the two-dimensional (2-D) space and produce noise-free sets of backscatter corresponding to well-defined wind conditions. This study focuses on the joint probability density function (PDF) of vertically (VV) and horizontally (HH) polarized clutter intensities, investigating the behavior of the function´s orientation and shape with variations in the incidence angle and wind speed. Comparisons with the results generated using coherent formulation of the popular Two-Scale Model reveal strengths and weaknesses of the latter in reproducing detailed statistical descriptors of sea clutter such as the joint VV-HH PDF.