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HF radio oceanography — A review

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Abstract

The understanding and utilization of HF radar sea-echo have enjoyed steady progress since the experimental discovery of the underlying radar/sea interaction process over two decades ago. The agreement of theory with measured data confirms the correctness of currently accepted explanations for both the first-order and second-order portions of the sea-echo Doppler spectrum in terms of the wave-height directional spectrum. Furthermore, experiments have shown that any currents present near the surface produce a readily distinguishable Doppler shift on the wave-scattered echo which is directly related to the current velocity.

Present research activities in HF radio oceanography are of two types. The first involves efforts to extract ocean surface descriptors from the sea echo and thus establish the soundness of a sea-surface remote-sensing concept. The ultimate outcome of successful endeavors of this type, for example, could be the implementation of operational systems for routinely monitoring sea state, ocean surface winds, or surface currents over large areas. The second type of research activity involves the use of radio-oceanographic techniques to advance knowledge in physical oceanography.

Progress on three classes of sea-scatter research programs is reviewed; these three are differentiated by the oceanic variable sought from the echo. The first and most extensive class seeks information about the wave height directional spectral properties; both surface-wave and sky-wave radars are being used for such research. In the second class involving sky-wave radars, surface winds are being related empirically to sea-echo. The third class is concerned with extraction and mapping of near-surface currents from the sea-scattered signal spectrum. Potential future directions in these areas are discussed.

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Barrick, D.E. HF radio oceanography — A review. Boundary-Layer Meteorol 13, 23–43 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00913860

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