Radar reflectivity of the ocean surface for circular polarization

If one transmits an electromagnetic wave, an electric field is set up in space. The earth´s surface modifies the field and an interference pattern results. To calculate such a pattern one must know the reflection characteristics of the surface for the polarization of the incident wave. These are known for linear polarizations. Since a circularly polarized wave is a combination of the two linear polarizations, we can compute the reflection coefficient for circular polarizations by proper combination of the two linear reflection coefficients. This reflection coefficient is known for smooth sea conditions. In this paper the vector model of reflectivity for a rough sea is extended to include circular polarization. Reflection coefficients for the rough sea case are derived. Analytical expressions are given for the total received signal including the coherent and incoherent components. Receiver antenna polarizations of the same and opposite senses to that of the transmitter are considered.