Determination of 2D ocean surface currents using interferometric radar onboard a satellite

Description of the offer:

The offered technology is a method for producing 2D maps of current velocity vectors from the surface of the sea, e.g. from coastal waters.

Beams of electromagnetic waves are emitted towards the sea surface using two antennas at a distance from each other along the direction of the track and along a direction perpendicular to the track. The beams of electromagnetic waves are emitted to the surface from an altitude close to 500 km and scan over the surface approximately 100 km wide swaths to the right and to the left of the ground trace of the track.

Innovations and advantages:

The developed technology has a scan band width of the Earth’s surface (swath) of 2x100km while usual methods have a width of a few kilometers. The result is that with usual methods it is necessary to make assumptions and approximations in order to deduce ocean circulation models from these observations and to solve turbulence problems. With a wider scan system, it is possible to reduce these assumptions.

Domain of application:

This technology could be used in meteorology, transport and safety industries.

One example for a possible application is the surveillance of coastal waters, which are extremely dynamic regions in which submarine relief and particularly navigation channels can vary significantly over relatively short periods. Furthermore, the study of surface currents provides a means of determining the distribution of pollutants and the flow of cold polar water and water derived from ice melt.

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