A fractal model for the sea state bias in radar altimetry

Abstract. The Kirchhoff approximation is used to determine the sea state bias in radar altimetry. A weakly nonlinear model of the sea waves is used to derive the joint moments of two different points separated by a distance R; the bias moment is formulated, and found for power law spectra. The method provides a consistent analysis of the sea state bias and avoids the need to truncate the high frequency tail of power-law wave spectra. The model exhibits dependence of the "electromagnetic bias" on the radar frequency, an effect observed in field experiments.