USA As Represented by Secretary of the Navy

Kenneth D Anderson

Jack R Olson

Herbert V Hitney

Richard A Paulus

Transmitted signals are used to remotely assess sea surface roughness and nce wind speed at a water surface. A signal is transmitted from a signal source as it moves either through air or space. A land- or sea-based antenna receives the signal directly from the signal source and indirectly from the signal source by way of reflection of the signal from the surface being examined. The sum of the directly and indirectly received signals form an interference pattern as the signal source is moved. The interference pattern has peak-to-null signal values that are characteristic of the surface conditions being analyzed. Reference interference patterns are then generated for known surface conditions, each of the reference patterns exhibiting 'known' characteristic peak-to-null signal values. The peak-to-null signal values of the reference interference patterns are then compared to the peak-to-null signal values generated from the surface being examined. The reference interference pattern having known peak-to-null signal values most closely resembling the peak-to-null signal values generated from the surface being examined is determined. The known surface conditions of this reference interference pattern are then equated with the unknown surface conditions of the surface being examined. By using this technique one can determine the surface conditions of a sea surface as well as the wind speed present at such a surface.

Method for remotely determining sea surface roughness and wind speed at

Transmitted signals are used to accurately and remotely determine the veral distance of an earth-based receiving antenna above a surface, and hence can be used to determine the tide condition of a water surface. A signal is transmitted from a signal source as it moves either through air or space. An antenna whose height is to be determined with respect to a reflecting surface, such as water, receives the signal directly from the signal source and indirectly from the signal source by reflection of the signal from the reflecting surface. The sum of the directly and indirectly received signals form an interference pattern as the signal source is moved. Points on the interference pattern are selected at identical phase angle for each cycle of the pattern. The points are assigned reference numbers and the numbers are plotted with respect to a measurement indicative of the distance between the signal source and the antenna whose height with respect to the reflecting surface is to be determined. The slope or gradient of the reference numbers with respect to this measurement is determined. Reference interference patterns are generated either through mathematical modelling and/or through direct physical measurement and these are used to establish an equation relating known antenna-to-surface distances to the slopes of the reference numbers verses measurement. The slope corresponding to the antenna of an unknown distance from a surface is inserted into this equation and the equation is solved for the unknown distance.

Method for remotely detecting tides and the height of other surfaces

An air/sea temperature probe is disclosed which can be deployed from a moving ship to detect the temperature profile of the atmosphere and ocean beyond the thermal influence of a ship. The probe includes a temperature transducer which utilizes a bifilar wire that provides a very quick air temperature time constant. The transducer is mounted within a radiation shield having low thermal conductance to minimize thermal and solar radiation contamination and is coupled to a signal processing network. In operation, the probe is deployed from a ship and provides temperature telemetry via an electrical data link coupled between the signal processing network and a receiving transducer located onboard the ship.

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San Diego, CA, United States of America

Kenneth D Anderson