Advancements in Marine Surface Analysis Using SAR for Wind Field and Sea Surface Velocity Mapping: Insights from the COMBINO Project

This work considers the radar monostatic and bistatic geometry and the observation parameters related to the estimation of wind fields and sea surface currents currently under investigation for the upcoming PLATiNO-1 SAR mission of the Italian Space Agency in the framework of the COMBINO project. Leveraging Fois’ polarimetric scattering model, the study evaluates the capability of such a model in monostatic and bistatic X-Band SAR acquisition geometries and under varying wind conditions to derive the Doppler shift and the Normalized Radar Cross-Section (NRCS) in the marine environment. This work showcases the results of this analysis, providing insights into the applicability of advanced modeling techniques and bistatic SAR configurations for marine studies. The findings allow to bridge the gap of knowledge in this context toward future SAR mission system design.