VHF radar for ocean surface current and sea state remote sensing

Abstract

A meteorological ST radar operating at a frequency of 47.8 MHz has been used for remote sensing of sea state. General features of the Doppler spectra of the echoes are found to be the same as those obtained at HF; however, space resolution and intrinsic accuracy of the current velocity measurements can be significantly improved. Arguments are presented to suggest a potential range of a few tens of kilometers on the open sea if the full capabilities of ST radars are used. The experiment also shows that, when it is possible, the range could be extended by increasing the altitude of the radar.