Water-surface wind vector estimation by an airborne weather radar having a medium-size scanning sector

A method for measuring the near-surface wind vector over water using the airborne weather radar, in addition to its standard meteorological and navigation applications, is discussed. The airborne weather radar operates in the ground-mapping mode in the range of medium incidence angles as a scatterometer. A case of an aircraft rectilinear flight over the water surface is considered. Wind vector is recovered from the azimuth normalized radar cross section data in cases of the medium-size scanning sector. Algorithm for measuring the wind speed and direction is proposed.