Abstract
Over the last decades, satellite remote sensing has proved to be a valuable and effective tool for monitoring physical and biological ocean processes. However there are cases where data from one remote sensor alone cannot be interpreted unambiguously. In these situations the combination of data from different sensors can help to understand the observed processes due to the combined benefits of the various strengths and advantages of individual instruments. This paper illustrates the potential of synergy between synthetic aperture radar data and data from thermal and optical satellite sensors. Different aspects of oceanic and atmospheric fronts, eddies, upwelling, internal waves and surface films are imaged by the sensors and combined data give a broader picture of the physical processes involved. While the strengths of synergy are demonstrated in several examples, more frequent coincidence of data from existing and future sensors will be necessary before the benefits of synergy occur on an operational basis.
Résumé
Au cours des dernières décennies, la télédétection satellitaire a fait la preuve de sa pertinence en tant qu ’outil de surveillance des processus physiques et biologiques des océans. Cependant il est des cas où les données d’un seul capteur ne peuvent être interprétées sans ambiguïtés. Dans ces cas-là, la combinaison des données de différents capteurs peut aider à comprendre les processus observés du fait des avantages et des particularités de chacun des instruments pris séparément. Ce papier illustre le potentiel de la synergie entre les données de capteurs rso et celles provenant de capteurs optiques et infrarouges. Différents aspects des fronts océaniques et atmosphériques, des tourbillons, des remontées d’eaux froides, des ondes internes et des films de surface sont imagés par les capteurs et la combinaison des données offre une visualisation plus générale des processus physiques à l’œuvre. Bien que les points forts de la synergie soient démontrés dans plusieurs exemples, une plus grande répétition des co ïncidences de données sera nécessaire pour les capteurs actuels et futurs avant que les apports de la synergie deviennent bénéfiques sur une base opérationnelle.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alpers (W.), Theory of radar imaging of internal waves,Nature,314, 245–247, 1985.
Donlon (C.J.), An investigation of the oceanic skin temperature deviation,PhD thesis, University of Southampton, U.K, 1994.
Gower (J.F.R.), Wind and surface features in SAR images: The Canadian program, inProc. 1 st ERS-1 Symposium, ESA Spec. Publ,SP-359(1), 101–106, 1993.
Hooker (S.B.), Esaias (W.E.), Feldman (G.C.), Gregg (W.W.), McClain (C.R.), An Overview of SeaWiFS and Ocean Colour, inNASA Tech. Memo. 104566,1, 1992.
Hu (C), Carder (K), Muller-Karger (F.E.), Atmospheric correction of SeaWiFS imagery over turbid coastal waters: a practical method,Remote Sens. Environm.,74, 195–206, 2000.
Johannessen, (J.A.), Shuchman (R.A.), Digranes (G.), Lyzenga (D.R.), Wackerman (C), Johannessen (O.M.), Vachon (P.W.), Coastal ocean fronts and eddies imaged with ERS-1 synthetic aperture radar,J. of Geophys. Research,101, C3, 6651–6667, 1996a.
Johannessen (J.A.), Vachon (P.W.), Johannessen (O.M.), ers -1 SAR imaging of marine boundary layer processes, Study of Earth System fromSpace-Journal of Earth Observation and Remote Sensing (refereed Journal of the Russian Academy of Science), n°3, 1996b.
Kearns (E.J.), Hanafin (J.A.), Evans (R.H.), Minnett (P.J.), Brown (O.B.), An independent assessment of Pathfinder avhrr sea surface temperature accuracy using the Marine Atmosphere Emitted Radiance Interferometer (maeri),Bulletin of American Meteorological Society,81(7), 2000.
McClain (C.R.), Cleave (M.L.), Feldman (G.C.), Gregg (W.W.), Hooker (S.B.), Kuring (N.), Science Quality SeaWiFS data for global biosphere research,Sea Technology, Sept. 1998, 10–16.
Melsheimer (C), Alpers (W.), Gade (M.), Investigation of multifrequency / multipolarization radar signatures of rain cells over the ocean using sir-c/x-sar data,J. Geophys. Research,103, C9, 18,867–18,884, 1998.
Merchant (C.J.), Harris (A.R.), Toward the elimination of bias in satellite retrievals of sea surface temperature 2. Comparison with in situ measurements,J. Geophys. Research,104, (C10) 23, 23,579–23,590, 1999.
Mitnik (L.M.), Mesoscale coherent structures in the surface wind field during cold air outbreaks over the far eastern seas from satellite side looking radar,Mer,30, 297–314, 1992.
Robinson (I.S.), Johannessen (J.), Opportunities for combined sar and atsr ocean observations during the ers tandem mission,Proc. 3 rd ers Symp. On Space at the service of our environment, Florence, Italy, pp. 1337–1342, 1997.
Ruddick (K.G.), Ovidio (F.), Rijkeboer (M.), Atmospheric correction of SeaWiFS imagery for turbid coastal and inland waters,Appl. Optics,39(6), 897–912, 2000.
Schlüssel (P.), Emery (W.J.), Grassl (H.), Mammen (T.), On the bulk-skin temperature difference and its impact on satellite remote sensing of sea surface temperature,J Geophys. Research,95, C8, 13,341–13,356, 1990.
Sikora (T.D.), Young (G.S.), Shirer (H.N.), Chapman (R.D.), Estimating convective atmospheric boundary layer depth from microwave radar imagery of the sea surface,J. Appl. Meteorol,36, 833–845, 1997.
Ufermann (S.), Romeiser (R.), Numerical study on signatures of atmospheric convective cells in radar images of the ocean,J. Geophys. Research,104, C11, 25,707–25,719, 1999.
Ufermann (S.), Robinson (I.S.), Mobley (C.D.), Investigations of case-II water optical properties in the Rhine region of freshwater influence, inProceedings of Ocean Optics XV, Monaco, 2000.
Vachon (P.W.), Johannessen (J.A.), Browne (D.P.), ers -1 sar images of atmospheric gravity waves,ieee Transactions on Geosci. and Remote Sensing, 33(4), 1995.
Young (G.S.), Sikora (T.D.), Winstead (N.S.), Inferring marine atmospheric boundary layer properties from spectral characteristics of satellite-borne sar imagery,Monthly weather review,128, 1506–1520, 2000.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ufermann, S., Robinson, I.S. & Silva, J.C.B.D. Synergy between synthetic aperture radar and other sensors for the remote sensing of the ocean. Ann. Télécommun. 56, 672–681 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02995561
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02995561
Key words
- Remote sensing
- Land observation satellite
- Océanographic survey
- Synthetic aperture radar
- Radar signature
- Interpretation
- Temperature measurement
- Optical measurement