A study of sea-wave spectra in a wide wavelength range from satellite and in-situ data

Abstract

The results of studying sea-wave spectra in a wide wavelength range using high resolution (0.5–1.0 m) satellite optical imagery spectra and the results of measurements carried out from an oceanographic platform using string-wave recorders, stereo system, and drifting wave buoys are presented in this paper. The wave spectra retrieved from satellite imagery and sea-truth data have been compared. A comparison has shown the adequacy of the purposely developed retrieval methods. Power approximation indices for spatial spectra in the 0.04–5.0-m wavelength range have been found. It has been shown that the wave spectra measured experimentally by satellite-based and in-situ methods best approximate the Toba spectrum.