3-D Coastal Bathymetry Simulation from Airborne TOPSAR Polarized Data

Remote sensing techniques in real time could be a major tool for bathymetry mapping which could produce synoptic data overlarge areas at extremely low cost. In contrast, conventional techniques such as singleor multi-beam ship-borne echoes are costly and time-consuming, especially when large areas are being surveyed (Marghany et al., 2009b). The ocean bathymetry features can image by radar in coastal waters with strong tidal currents (Vogelzang et al., 1992; Vogelzang et al., 1997; Hesselmans et al., 2000, Marghany et al., 2010). Under practical circumstances, synthetic aperture radar (SAR) is able to detect shallow ocean bathymetry features (Alpers and Hennings 1984; Shuchman et al. 1985; and Vogelzang 1997). According to Alpers and Henning (1984) ocean bathymetry can determine indirectly based on means of sea surface variations that caused by the gradient current overflowing the submarine features. Therefore, this concept is valid with the presence of strong current associates with capillary waves. Under this circumstance, SAR antenna receives a strong backscatter from ocean surface. Nevertheless, multi-beam ship-borne echoes provide bathymetry to water depths above 100 m whereas SAR data are limited to less than 25 m. Under local circumstances such as strong tidal gradient and wind speed higher than 3 m/s, SAR data can detect shallow ocean bathymetry features down to 20 m ( Marghany et al., 2009b).