ACTIVE IMAGERY UNDER GRAZING-INCIDENCE USING POLARIZATION TO DETECT AND IDENTIFY SUBSURFACE TARGETS IMMERSED IN THE DRAFT ZONE

The possibility of detecting and identifying targets immersed in the d raught zone of a ship with a lidar is discussed in this paper. It is c arried out by a polarimetric codification of optical signals. The sea surface roughness, in conjunction with wind direction, greatly disturb s light dispersion. Nevertheless, by using the Stokes-Mueller polarime tric formalism, a classification of immersed targets with various surf aces and covering properties can be laid down.