• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.61-71
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• 1999

Several physical phenomena on the sea surface are analyzed from SAR images of South Sea areas, Korea. Strong wave patterns propagating in southerly direction are seen in ERS-1 SAR image on October 11, 1994, and a wave directional spectrum is calculated from this image using the SAR modulation transfer function. RADARSAT SAR image of August 15, 1996 reveals internal waves in northern coastal waters of Cheju Island. Analysis indicates that the internal waves may have been generated by the tidal currents traveling over the shallow bottom of the stratified water in the summer during the tidal changeovers fro ebb to flood and shows patterns of trains of solitons. RADARSAT SAR image taken 3 days after the oil spill accident near Goeje Isalnd on April 3, 1997 detects distinct oil slicks from the accident area but also shows slicks near the coast caused by wind sheltering of coastal mountains and chemical-biological activities.