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Sea Surface Slope and Elevation Statistics To Support Radar Performance Modeling

Award Information
Agency: Department of Defense
Branch: Navy
Contract: N68335-06-C-0192
Agency Tracking Number: N061-002-0336
Amount: $149,992.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: N06-002
Solicitation Number: 2006.1
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2006
Award Year: 2006
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): 2006-04-27
Award End Date (Contract End Date): 2007-04-27
Small Business Information
P.O. Box 6024
Sherman Oaks, CA 91413
United States
DUNS: 082191198
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 Clayton R Chinn
 Senior Scientist
 (703) 413-0290
 cchinn@arete.com
Business Contact
 Philip Selwyn
Title: Vice President
Phone: (703) 413-0290
Email: pselwyn@arete.com
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

Light reflected from the ocean surface is highly polarized, where the state of the polarization is dependent on the orientation of the ocean surface. By measuring the Stokes vector of the reflected light Areté Associates proposes to retrieve both the cross-look and the look components of the surface slope. Algorithms will be developed in Phase I to retrieve the absolute slope values and the surface elevations. Also during Phase I a measurement and data collection system will be designed using a multi-spectral, polarimetric, area-scan, CCD-based digital camera system. Using cameras with large CCDs will enable this system to measure the slope vector at centimeter spatial scales over a patch size greater than 20 m by 20 m. By measuring the slopes over a sizeable patch, correlations between steep slopes and breaking events will also be recovered, which is of strong interest to the radar modeling community. BENEFITS: Radar scattering from the ocean surface depends strongly on the detailed ocean surface structure, which in turn is impacted by the wind and other environmental factors. Developing a capability to measure ocean surface slopes at a high resolution over a relatively large patch would aid greatly in the development of models of radar scattering from the ocean. Such measurements would provide detailed understanding of the structure of the ocean surface and of the air/sea interface. Measurement systems of this type would be of interest for radar model development and could be used in radar assessments when the ocean surface is involved. This capability would also be of interest in studies of the air-sea interaction and for monitoring the ocean surface by organizations such as NOAA and the Coast Guard.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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