Investigators: Benjamin Holt (JPL), Paul M. DiGiacomo (JPL), and Libe Washburn (UCSB).

This project, funded by the NASA Radarsat ADRO-2 Program, seeks to provide an improved understanding of regional and local circulation features, pollution hazards, and associated biological impacts in coastal waters off California. Use of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data, complemented by satellite-derived ocean color (e.g., SeaWiFS) and sea surface temperature (e.g., AVHRR) measurements along with coincident field data (e.g., HF shore-based radar) enables the detection and quantification of under-sampled and poorly described small-scale coastal processes and hazards and their impact on the local ecosystem. In particular, these coastal features include eddies (see press release), storm water plumes, and natural hydrocarbon seepage. We expect to further the understanding of event-scale, seasonal, interannual, and regional variability in the bio-geophysical characteristics of these small-scale coastal ocean phenomena, and also to provide maps of oil seepage and storm water plumes that are important coastal management tools.

Ocean Eddies

Pollution Hazards