MEASUREMENTS OF THE EFFECTS OF SURFACE WINDS ON OCEAN CURRENTS WITH A STEPPED-FREQUENCY DELTA-K-RADAR SYSTEM

A frequency-agile C band DELTA-K radar system was used to measure ocean surface currents during the SAXON-Chesapeake Light Tower experiment. Surface currents were measured with the radar approximately 80% of the time from September 20 to October 14, 1988. In this paper these measurements are compared with in situ current and wind probe measurements. We find the agreement between the radar and current probe measurements to be very good during periods when the wind- and wave-driven currents are negligible in the radar-viewing direction. During other times, we find that the radar measurements are approximated by the Weber model.