An approximate model for the microwave brightness temperature of the sea

Abstract

A modified two-scale model is proposed for scattering and emissivity calculations for certain classes of random rough surfaces. It is based on an approach by Burrows and by Brown, but it has been extended to bistatic scattering by lossy dielectric surfaces, and it incorporates modified Fresnel reflection coefficients and a simple correction for multiple-scattering effects. The method is shown to be applicable to the ocean surface for light and moderate winds. A contracted form of the radiative-transfer equation is proposed and the included Wentz correction for surface scattering is discussed. This could lead to a method that could be both simple and accurate enough for real-time inversion algorithms in microwave remote sensing.