This Research Initiation Award is to develop a new approach for detecting targets on the ocean surface using microwave radars with frequency and polarization diversity. In the proposed approach, received signals from resolution cells lying adjacent to a given cell are processed adaptively to obtain relevant information about the spatial structure of the ocean surface. This information is used to implement a detection strategy which maximizes the contrast between the target and the background medium. An investigation of various theoretical aspects of the problem along with its testing will be conducted. The application of the proposed concept to other problems and the impact of the proposed work are discussed. Over two decades of research in the area of microwave remote sensing of the ocean has established the strong connection between the characteristics of microwave sea echo and the physical characteristics of the ocean surface. Improvements in the performance of high resolution radar systems operating in an ocean environment can only be achieved by recognizing this dynamic link between the statistical characteristics of microwave clutter and that of the ocean waves. The research is an attempt at solving this problem by unifying ideas from three different disciplines of research (viz., detection and estimation theory, scattering of electromagnetic waves from rough surfaces and oceanography). This represents a new approach to the problem and results from this work as well as its theoretical aspects are expected to generate a good deal of interest in the scientific community.
