Retrieval of internal wave signatures from marine radar data

Abstract

In this paper we study the retrieval of internal wave (IW) signatures from marine radar data. In a first step, IW packet characteristics are determined, which are used to enhance the IW signal by temporal averaging. The IW-enhanced images are then channeled into our IW signature retrieval algorithm, where we employ localized Radon transform techniques to trace the signatures of each individual soliton. From the resulting IW soliton maps, one can easily extract parameters such as wavelength, velocity, and curvature for each soliton. During the Non-Linear Internal Wave Initiative 2006, R/V Oceanus was tracking IWs as they propagated across New Jersey's continental shelf. Our tool provides a first means of studying the spatio-temporal evolution of IW surface signatures as the underlying wave grows and subsequently decays.