FN Archimer Export Format PT J TI Analysis of ERS-1/2 synthetic aperture radar wave mode imagettes BT AF KERBAOL, Vincent CHAPRON, Bertrand VACHON, Paris W AS 1:1;2:1;3:2; FF 1:;2:;3:; C1 IFREMER, Ctr Brest, Dept Oceanog Spatiale, F-29280 Plouzane, France. Canada Ctr Remote Sensing, Ottawa, ON K1A 0Y7, Canada. C2 IFREMER, FRANCE CCRS, CANADA IN WOS Ifremer jusqu'en 2018 IF 2.939 TC 130 UR https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00447/55869/58014.pdf LA English DT Article AB The European Space Agency (ESA) ERS-1 and ERS-2 C band VV polarization active microwave instrument (AMI) offers the unique ability to combine interlaced wind scatterometer and high-resolution synthetic aperture radar (SAR) wave mode imagettes. In this study, more than 2000 imagettes were considered. Each imagette has been statistically analyzed in comparison with normalized radar cross-section (NRCS) measurements from the scatterometer mode. During ti lt ERS-1 AMI wave mode mission the incidence angle of the imagette center was modified from roughly 19.9 degrees to 23.5 degrees. Using ERS-1 and ERS-2 NRCS, calibration has thus been completed for both configurations, which allows a better characterization of some signal data saturation effects. However, since a SAR relies on platform displacement to achieve fine resolution, surface motions reduce its nominal resolution. As the wind speed increases, scatterer motion occurring during the SAR integration time also increases, causing the characteristic large azimuth cutoff wavelength. Acknowledging the strong dependence between sea state conditions and azimuth smearing effects, our results are highlighted by the global comparison with wind estimates derived from the scatterometer. The results demonstrate the ability to define a SAR wind algorithm from a kinematic point of view. Finally, a higher-order statistical analysis shows evidence of deviation from standard Rayleigh statistics, leading to a, balance between K law and lognormal distributions. This deviation is mainly due to the SAR's high-resolution properties. PY 1998 PD APR SO Journal Of Geophysical Research-oceans SN 2169-9275 PU Amer Geophysical Union VL 103 IS C4 UT 000073114800028 BP 7833 EP 7846 DI 10.1029/97JC01579 ID 55869 ER EF