LABORATORY MEASUREMENTS OF THE EFFECTS OF VISCOSITY ON SHORT WATER WAVE SPECTRA AND IMPLICATION FOR RADAR REMOTE SENSING OF THE OCEAN SURFACE

Using an X-band radar and a mechanical short wave generator, we measured the dependenceof radar return power on the viscosity of water which was adjusted by changing the watertemperature. From the measurements we drew two inferences: (1) the spectral density of short waterwaves, F, depends strongly on the viscosity of waterF(v)=F_0~mwhere is normalized viscosity, and m=-1.72; and (2) the normalized radar cross section, σ_0(dB), dependsstrongly on the water temperature△σ_0 (dB)=O.217△TAnalyses indicate that these dependencies can be observed in the field only at low wind conditionsat which the Bragg scattering is a dominant mechanism for producing the radar return signals. Theresults of this study can be used to interpret the sharp variability in radar cross section across a watertemperature front and SAR images of oeeanic phenomena.