Developing RADARSAT's METOC Capabilities in Support of Project Polar Epsilon

The Polar Epsilon project will use Canada's RADARSAT satellites to expand the Canadian Forces' space-based ship and oil spill detection capabilities in the Arctic, Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. RADARSAT's ability to detect ships and oil, however, is influenced by surface winds, waves a...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Whitehouse, B. G., Vachon, P. W., Thomas, A. C., Quinn, R. J.
Other Authors: DEFENCE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CANADA OTTAWA (ONTARIO)
Format: Text
Language:English
Published: 2005
Subjects:
Active & Passive Radar Detection & Equipment
*SYNTHETIC APERTURE RADAR
*MILITARY SATELLITES
*SPACE BASED
DETECTION
MILITARY FORCES(FOREIGN)
RADAR EQUIPMENT
WAVES
ARCTIC OCEAN
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
OIL SPILLS
CURRENTS
PACIFIC OCEAN
ATLANTIC OCEAN
CANADA
WIND
FOREIGN REPORTS
AQ F06-05-3054
Arctic
Arctic Ocean
Canada
Pacific
Online Access:http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA443211
http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA443211
Description
Summary:The Polar Epsilon project will use Canada's RADARSAT satellites to expand the Canadian Forces' space-based ship and oil spill detection capabilities in the Arctic, Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. RADARSAT's ability to detect ships and oil, however, is influenced by surface winds, waves and currents. As existing sources of meteorological and oceanographic data are too coarse in spatial resolution or too removed in time, this report investigates the feasibility of deriving such information from the RADARSAT imagery itself to conduct a rapid environmental assessment (REA) of(i) minimum detectable ship size and (ii) probability of oil spill false detection. The report also investigates methods to overcome limitations in Canadian Forces' deployed ocean observing infrastructure, which are required to develop and demonstrate spacebased REA products, by using civilian ocean observing systems. In addition, as a means of decreasing limitations inherent in space-based synthetic aperture radar and ocean colour sensors used by Polar Epsilon (i.e. RADARSAT and MODIS), the report identifies and discusses meteorological and oceanographic features of military interest that may be detected by both types of sensors. The original document contains color images. Abstract and Summary in English and French.

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