On the joint use of scattering and damping models to predict X-band co-polarized backscattering from a slick-covered sea surface

In this study, sea surface scattering with and without surfactants is predicted using the two-scale boundary perturbation model (BPM) and the advanced integral equation model (AIEM) augmented with two different damping models, i.e., the Marangoni one and the model of local balance (MLB). Numerical predictions are showcased for both mineral oil and biogenic slicks. They are contrasted with actual satellite Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) measurements collected at X-band by the German TerraSAR-X sensor over mineral oil and plant oil slicks of known origin. Experimental results show that the two-scale BPM augmented with the Marangoni damping model is more suitable for predicting the normalized radar cross section and the damping ratio of plant oil (biogenic) slicks. In contrast, the AIEM combined with the damping MLB results in a better agreement with SAR measurements collected over mineral oil slicks.