CROSS SEA DETECTION BASED ON SYNTHETIC APERTURE RADAR (SAR) DATA

AND NUMERICAL WAVE MODEL (WAM)

Xiao-Ming LI(1)(2), Susanne Lehner(1) , Ming-Xia HE(2)

Johannes Schulz-Stellenfleth(1)

(1)German Aerospace Centre (DLR), Oberpfaffenhofen, 82234 Wessling, Germany, Email: Xiao.Li@dlr.de
(2)Ocean Remote Sensing Institute, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China

ABSTRACT that is characterized by a wind sea and one or more

swell systems is called a mixed sea or confused sea. If
The present paper is about the detection of cross seas
their directions differ, the sea state is called a cross
based on ERS-2/SAR wave mode data and comparison
sea. A cross sea case which occurred in the South-East
to WAM model. A case of cross seas observed by
Pacific was captured clearly by consecutive ERS-2
ERS-2/SAR was analyzed for its generation and
SAR wave mode images acquired on August 10, 2000
development by wave mode data together with the
at 17:30 UTC. One of the consecutive imagettes is
WAM model two-dimensional (2-D) spectra. The sea
shown in Fig. 1. The case is studied using 2-D spectra,
surface elevation is estimated from these wave mode
including the WAM model [2] spectra, cross spectra of
data with cross sea features using a CMOD type tilt
SAR complex data [3] and the non-linear retrieved
algorithm. An effective method to remove the speckle
PARSA spectra [4]. By a simple travel kinematic
noise from SAR wave mode images is introduced, too,
model, generation and development of cross seas is
in order to get better results of sea surface elevation.
demonstrated.

1. Introduction

It is well known that Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR)

provides directional ocean wave and surface wind
information on a continuous and global scale [1]. Due
to the high resolution of SAR data, it is possible to
analyze the structure of the ocean wave field, such as
wave groups and individual wave behavior. In the
framework of the project WAVEALTAS, ESA
provided a two-year’s ERS-2/SAR wave mode raw
data set, which was reprocessed to single-look-
complex SAR images at DLR using the BSAR
processor [1]. The processed data set contains
typically between 1300 and 1500 images of 10km by
5km size daily.
1.1 SAR ocean wave spectra algorithm
Two types of ocean waves usually characterize the sea
surface, namely wind sea and swell. The first refers to
waves influenced by the local wind, the latter to waves
that have propagated out of the generating area and are
thus no longer affected by the local wind. A sea state
Figure 1. ERS-2/SAR wave mode data imaging a cross
sea, acquired on August 10, 2000 at 17:30 UTC
Traditionally, SAR ocean wave measurements are
carried out in the spectral domain to estimate the two-
dimensional spectrum. One approach is realized in the
MPI (Max-Planck Institute) scheme [5]. Later by
making using of the SAR complex image, the cross
spectra method was derived to retrieve ocean wave
propagation directions without ambiguity [3]. This is
the standard algorithm for ASAR wave mode data [6].
However, all these applications do not make use of full

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Proc. ‘Envisat Symposium 2007’, Montreux, Switzerland
23–27 April 2007 (ESA SP-636, July 2007)
information on the two-dimensional sea surface
elevation field provided by SAR.
1.2 Sea Surface Elevation
Sea surface elevation is estimated from SAR wave
mode imagettes, e.g. as done by the LISE algorithm
developed by DLR [7]. The objective of this paper is
to introduce a technique to estimate the sea surface
elevation field from SAR wave mode by a CMOD
type tilt algorithm (Wolfgang.Koch@gkss.de). It is
well known that the geophysical model function
CMOD describes the relationship between wind speed,
wind direction, antenna look direction and incidence
angle [8]. The incidence angle chosen for SAR wave
mode images is set around 23◦. This does not take
account into the tilt caused by the sea surface
elevation. Although in steep wave situations, the
change of tilt is significant. Given the wind speed U10
and wind direction and by using CMOD, thus the tilt
angle of the individual ocean wave is estimated. This
is the main idea of the approach introduced in the
paper.
1.3 Speckle noise removing in SAR images
SAR images are generated by coherent processing of
the scattered signals and they are highly susceptible to
specking effects [9]. The presence of speckle in SAR
image reduces the ability of information extraction,
especially when the ratio of signal to noise is low over
the ocean. It is observed that the energy due to the
imaged ocean wave field is concentrated in narrow
angular sectors of the image spectrum. Thus it is
possible to choose a proper threshold to remove the
speckle noise in the image by a Fourier Fast
Transform (FFT) type of filter.
The paper is structured as follows: in section 2, the
data set used in this research is introduced. Section 3 is
about the generation and development of the cross seas
case. The technique of removing speckle noise and
estimation of sea surface elevation on SAR wave
mode data is introduced in the fourth section.
2. Data Set Description
For this study ERS-2 SAR images and ERA-40 model
data are used.
2.1 ERS-2 SAR wave mode data
ERS SAR wave mode data is acquired over the ocean
every 200 km along the satellite track with the
coverage of 5km x 10km, when image mode data is
not requested.
A two-year wave mode dataset from ERS-2 SAR
acquired during 1999 and 2000, which has been
reprocessed to single-look-complex data at DLR [1].
2.2 Model data
After the success of ERA-15, European Centre for
Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) is
performing their second reanalysis called ERA-40
[10], which covers 45 years, from 1957 until 2002.
Starting 1991, wave height data obtained from the
altimeters on board of ERS-1 and ERS-2 are
assimilated into ERA-40 wave data.
The Numerical wave model used for the research is
the well-known WAM [2]. It is the so called the third
generation model (cycle 4), in which the wave
spectrum is computed by integration of the energy
balance equation. The model resolution is chosen as 1◦
by 1◦ and forced by the ERA-40 high resolution wind
field (1◦ by 1◦).
3. Observation of Cross Seas
The case of cross seas imaged by SAR occurred in the
southeastern Pacific on Aug.10, 2000. An impressive
pattern of crossing ocean wave systems is observed on
at least 8 consecutive images, i.e. on a distance of
more than 1000 km. The most distinct peaks can be
observed on the image which is situated at 23.06S and
111.6W degrees as shown in Fig. 1. Three consecutive
imagettes through the cross sea area are shown in Fig.
2. The hindcast WAM model spectra (upper row),
observed cross spectra (middle row with wave
traveling direction ambiguity removed by using the
imaginary part of the cross spectrum) and retrieved
PARSA spectra (lower row) are shown as well. It is
clear from these contour plots that the cross sea As expected the PARSA inversion algorithm turns the
contains two distinct swell systems travelling to peak of swell Sne towards the azimuth direction. In a
northeast and northwest. These are denoted as Sne and next step the dissipation scheme of the WAM model
Snw hereby respectively. The two swell systems are will be compared to the inverted SAR spectra.
most dominant in the last imagette, which is shown in
Fig. 2. The PARSA retrieved Sne swell system peak 4. Estimation of Sea Surface Elevation
wave length is about 400m, which agrees well with the
4.1 Technique of speckle noise removing
observed cross spectral peak, but the WAM model
Radar signals returned from the scatterers within the
hindcast result shows only about 300m.
SAR resolution cell are added up coherently during the
Gonzalez et al., [11] introduced a simple kinematical
process, which makes images susceptible to speckle.
wave model which has shown that swell generally
Basically the speckle is signal-dependent and acts like
obeys linear wave theory of propagation and does not
multiplicative noise. Therefore, in the SAR image
seem to be affected by propagating through zones of
analysis, the multiplicative noise model is used [12].
steady wind. With the simple kinematical model and
Iσ = I *S (1)
swell group speed calculated from the WAM model
In which, Iσ is SAR intensity, I is the cross section
result. It is estimated that Swell Sne was generated by a
information and S is speckle noise.
storm about 4000km away near to the Antarctic
In the SAR one-dimension directional spectrum, the
Continent and after travelled 96 hours it arrived at the
energy is concentrated in very small angular sectors.
observation point. Swell Sne was generated by an anti-
This property gives the possibility to remove the
clockwise low pressure about 2200km away and
speckle and extract the useful information by setting a
travelled about 54 hours to the observation point. In
proper threshold. Before doing the (FFT), the
Fig. 4 swell travelling and cross sea generation is
logarithm is calculated. Thus the multiplicative
shown on a simplified map. The black dotted line
speckle noise in SAR image is transformed into
shows the swell great circle route from the generation
additive noise i.e.
area (green triangle) to the observation at the imagette
log(Iσ) = log(I)+log(S) (2)
location (Black Square, 23.06S and 111.6W). The
After the FFT, the speckle is still additive, i.e.
yellow lines indicate swell traveling distance during
F(log(Iσ)) = F( log(I))+ F(log(S)) (3)
one day.
Using the proper thresholds, the speckle can be
The imaginary part of the SAR cross spectrum shows
removed and the intensity image can be retrieved by
a strong peak of the swell system Snw as shown in
inverse FFT. This method is denoted as LOG-FFT
Fig.3. This peak is underestimated in the WAM
method. Fig. 6 shows the speckle reduced result of the
model. This is due to the fact that the input wind field
second imagette shown in Fig.2.
from ERA-40 at the generation area of the swell was
The filtered result shows that the speckle noise is
weak. This can be concluded from the comparison to
reduced significantly. Two different swell systems can
the Quikscat wind field in Fig. 5. The maximum wind
be observed clearly.
speed measured by Quikscat is about 30m/s larger than
4.2 Technique of sea surface elevation estimation
ERA-40 model result about 20m/s.
As mentioned above, the elevation of sea surface will
For the Sne swell system, it can be observed that the
cause radar cross section changes. Different tilt of the
energy contained on the system is largest in the
sea surface generates different local incidence angles
imagette (the rightmost one Fig. 2) closest to the
in every pixel of the SAR image. The procedure to
generation area and decreases northward along the
estimate the sea surface elevation is demonstrated in
orbit due to the swell dissipation.
the following.
First, the normalized radar cross section (NRCS) σ0sim
of the imagette is simulated by using the collocated
ERA-40 wind field data (wind speed U10 and wind
direction ψ), the antenna look direction φ and the
◦
incidence angle θ is 23 in the CMOD5 function. The
calibration constant applied for SAR wave mode
images is taken to be -44.96dB [13].
Second, from the intensity value of pixels in imagettes,
obs
the observed σ0 measured by SAR is computed by
using the calibration constant. The cost function J is
defined as Eq.4
(
J(α) = σ 0 (U10,ψ,ϕ,θ +α) −σ (U10,ψ,ϕ,θ ))
obs
0
sim 2
(4)
J(α) optimizes the angle α, the difference between
local incidence angle due to tilt and 23◦. The minimum
of the cost function corresponds to the best fit of local
incidence angle.
In a further step, the slope in every pixel from the local
incidence angle is estimated. The sea surface elevation
of SAR wave mode imagettes is obtained by
integrating the slope in every pixel along the range
direction.
Fig. 6 shows the intensity value of pixels in the
selected purple rectangular area of the filtered
imagette shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is the corresponding
sea surface elevation result using the CMOD tilt
algorithm. In a next step, this first result will be
validated against buoy data and model results.
Summary
A case of cross seas captured clearly by SAR is
analyzed for swells generation and dissipation based
on SAR wave mode data and WAM model. The
comparison among WAM model spectra, cross spectra
and PARSA non-linear inverted spectra is
demonstrated. SAR measurements of sea state could
be used to validate the quality of the wind field driving
the WAM model. A CMOD type technique for sea
surface elevation estimation is introduced. A LOG-
FFT speckle noise reduction method used on ERS-2
SAR wave mode data is applied. It is effective for
noise removal and extraction of information in
individual ocean waves properties (e.g. crest height
and length).
Acknowledgment
The ERS-2/SAR wave mode raw data were kindly
supplied by ESA in the framework of AO
WAVEATLAS. We thank for the ECMWF make the
ERA-40 data set available freely.
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 Figure 5. Filtered result by LOG-FFT method of third
imagette shown in Fig.2
Figure 3. Cross spectra imaginary part of
rightmost imagette shown in Fig. 2

Figure 4. Sketch map of cross sea system generation Figure 6. Intensity value of pixels in Fig. 5 purple
rectangular area

Figure 7. Corresponding Sea surface elevation

Figure. 5 Wind fields of ERA-40 and Quikscat at

generation area of Swell Snw