Directly Measuring Ocean Forward Scatter with an UWB Radar

Abstract

This paper describes a dual frequency, ultrawideband (9 GHz, 0.15 ns pulse and 4 GHz, 0.25 ns pulse), dual polarized measurement radar system and a field experiment designed to directly measure ocean forward scatter associated with a test target mounted above a wind disturbed ocean surface. For a grazing angle of 2.9° to the specular point, radar resolution was sufficient to fully resolve both direct and reflected path contributions to the received target signal. Data samples highlight some new results with regard to conventional wisdom concerning radar forward scatter from the ocean.