Mapping Surface Currents and Waves with Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar in Coastal Waters: Observations of Wave Breaking in Swell-Dominant Conditions

Airborne and spaceborne interferometric synthetic aperture radars (InSARs) produce surface velocity measurements at very high spatial resolutions over a large area. The data allow construction of the velocity strain field for highlighting ocean surface processes such as wave breaking and rip currents. Also, coherence between signals from two interferometric channels is a descriptor of the correlation condition of the surface roughness that scatters back the radar signals and it is an indication of the ocean surface turbulence. Wave breaking is a major turbulence source causing surface roughness decorrelation, thus the coherence parameter serves as an independent means for detecting wave breaking. The results of breaking detection using roughness decorrelation and critical local acceleration are comparable. In this paper, the breaking fraction in swell-dominant mixed seas along a cross-shore transect is compared with several steepness parameters characterizing different length scales of surface waves. The highest correlation coefficient (from 0.90 to 0.99) is between the breaking fraction and windsea mean square slope contributed primarily by short waves. This result reinforces the previous field observations showing that the length scales of breaking waves are much shorter than the energetic components near the spectral peak, although dominant waves and the associated wave group modulation are important in triggering the breaking process. The large spatial coverage of airborne or spaceborne operation further offers the opportunity to investigate evolution of the surface wave spectrum in high spatial (subkilometer) resolution. This capability is very useful for monitoring the coastal wave and current environment.