Identification and characterization of internal waves in SAR images along the coast of Norway

The Synthetic Aperture Radars (SARs) on ERS and RADARSAT are sensitive to c hanges in the small-scale surface roughness present on the ocean surface, w hich is altered by the velocity field associated with internal waves. More than 2600 SAR images from Norwegian waters were analyzed to obtain geometri c and radiometric signature statistics of internal waves. The statistical a nalysis shows that the dispersion properties can be described by a single w avelength scaling parameter of 1.4, allowing internal waves to be detected and characterized with a wavelet based algorithm. Internal waves are identi fied mainly in four "hot-spot" areas with somewhat distinctive characterist ics. Information on internal waves is useful for the offshore oil industry and for the military, both for planning purposes and operationally in near real time.