Synthetic aperture radar image analysis as a tool for validation of baroclinic internal wave 3D modeling in Algeciras Bay (Strait of Gibraltar)

Abstract

This paper presents the main results obtained from the application of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sea surface image analysis to the validation of the baroclinic internal wave 3D modeling in the Strait of Gibraltar and Algeciras Bay. Appropriate SAR images, showing the occurrence of short-wavelength oscillations in the sea surface in this area, were selected and compared with the modeled spatial fields of the M2 free-surface elevation at the corresponding tidal stages, sometimes corrected for the consideration of neap or spring episodes. A good agreement between SAR images and model fields was found. The analysis of SAR images has showed to be a powerful tool for the study of the internal wave phenomena in the Strait of Gibraltar and Algeciras Bay, providing a holistic way for the validation of 3D model experiments in that matter.