9711932 Swift This project is to investigate passive polarimetric remote sensing of the ocean surface wind direction and speed, and to compare this technique to scatterometry. A rich data set will be analyzed to 1) develop an empirical model describing the radiative Stokes parameters dependence on wind, 2) perform a Fourier analysis to characterize the Stokes parameters; 3) compare the results with backscatter signatures, 4) model the physical processes contributing to the response, and 5) evaluate the potential of passive polarimetry for satellite-based sensing of the ocean surface wind vector.
