Sea surface short-period roughness unsteadiness

Abstract

The effect of spatial inhomogeneity of sea waves on the accuracy of determining the level of the sea surface is studied. Based on the data of direct wave measurements, the variability of statistical characteristics of sea waves on scales smaller than the size of the area illuminated by the radar was analyzed. The case is considered when radio sounding is carried out at low angles of incidence by radar located on a spacecraft. It is shown that the displacement of the distribution median of surface elevations, which determines the skewness bias, is alternating. The absolute value of the median shift reaches two percent of the significant wave height. In most cases, the signs of skewness bias and electromagnetic bias coincide.