Alaska SAR Applications Demonstration Project

A demonstration of coastal ocean pre-operational applications of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data in Alaska (AKDEMO) will begin in the fall of 1999. The effort is sponsored by NOAA/NESDIS and is scheduled to last two years. As part of AKDEMO, selected operational agencies in Alaska will have access to near real-time SAR data and products. The purpose of the demonstration is to evaluate in a pre-operational context the usefulness and to validate the accuracy of derived SAR products such as winds and vessel positions. The major user organizations participating in AKDEMO are the NOAA/ National Weather Service (NWS) Weather Service Forecast and Regional Offices in Alaska, the NOAA CoastWatch Node, the Coast Guard 17th District Office in Juneau, and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. The initial demonstration system will provide interactive Internet access to three main products: (1) SAR imagery, (2) SAR derived ocean vessel positions using a constant false alarm rate (CFAR) algorithm, and (3) ocean surface winds derived from SAR using a modified CMOD4 scatterometer algorithm. Ancillary in-situ, satellite, and model environmental data will also be available to provide additional context for interpretation and characterization of the SAR imagery and products. The primary source of SAR data will be the Canadian RADARSAT-1 satellite carrying a C-band (5.6 cm) SAR with HH polarization. The most common data modes to be used are ScanSAR Wide B (500 km swath and 100-200 m resolution) and Standard (100 km swath and 25 m resolution). This poster paper will present a description of the final system as well as preliminary results obtained to date.