The contribution of Bragg scattering to scatterometer signatures

Abstract The composite surface model, which has resonant Bragg scattering as its basis, is the physical model most widely applied to replicate scatterometer data. Despite the wide acceptance of the model, no data has been presented to demonstrate that a full azimuthal scan of a scatterometer is consistent with Bragg scatter. This paper presents an azimuthal scan of S band (10 cm) Doppler radar data taken at high incidence angles on a relatively sheltered sea. The azimuthal variation in backscattered power shows the familiar maxima upwind and downwind, while recourse to the full Doppler spectra clearly indicates the Bragg scattering origin of this azimuthal power variation.