Абстракт
This study provides quantitative estimates of wind waves breaking contribution to dual co- and cross-polarized radar scattering. Extending approaches suggested by [1], [2], 1696 RADARSAT-2
quad-polarized Synthetic Aperture Radar measurements collocated with 65 in situ National Data Buoy Center buoys observations are analyzed. For VV polarization, wave breaking contribution
decreases from 60% to 20% with increasing incidence angle, while for HH polarization and cross-polarization wave breaking contribution is about 60%-70% at all incidence angles. Empirical
dependencies of wave breaking contributions to co- and cross-pol signals on wind speed, incidence angles and azimuth are then suggested.