Ocean wave directional spectra and wave‐current interaction in the Agulhas from the Shuttle Imaging Radar‐B synthetic aperture radar

Abstract

SIR‐B synthetic aperture radar ocean‐wave spectra for a 200‐km pass crossing the Agulhas current off the coast of Africa are analyzed. A significant enhancement of one spectral peak along the northern edge of the current is attributed both to amplification of the waves by refraction‐dominated wave‐current interaction and to transient specular backscatter contributions spatially correlated to the waves.