Abstract:

Polarimetric Imaging of the sea surface was made from a tower on the bow of the University of Miami's Surface Physics Experimental Catamaran (SPEC) during the CARTHE Surfzone Coastal Oil Pathways Experiment (SCOPE). The experiment was conducted near Destin FL, in December 2013. The data includes simultaneous imaging of 0, 45, 90 degree polarizations of the light reflected from a small (~1-m x 1-m) region of the ocean surface at framerates ranging from 7.5 FPS to 30 FPS. From this imagery the sea-surface slope vector may calculated and this constitutes the primary data set.

Suggested Citation:

Brian K. Haus, Nathan J.M. Laxague. 2016. Sea-surface slope measurements from polarized imagery during the SCOPE experiment in the northern Gulf of Mexico, December, 2013. Distributed by: Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative Information and Data Cooperative (GRIIDC), Harte Research Institute, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi. doi:10.7266/N7X63K01

Purpose:

To retrieve short ocean surface wave statistics and dynamics with the aim of characterizing boundary layer flows and surface chemistry.

Data Parameters and Units:

image scale (in meters per pixel) cam1 - intensity at 90 degree polarization cam2 - intensity at 45 degree polarization cam3 - intensity at 0 degree polarization Run start times are given as date vectors (Y,M,D,H,MN,S) Camera framerate for each run Image numbers are sequential. Each frame's timestamp is the run start time plus (image number)/(FPS).

Methods:

Given here are archives of polarimetric images of the sea surface collected during SCOPE (Surfzone-Coastal Oil Pathways Experiment). Technical failure prevented image correction to account for vessel's instantaneous motion. Each image has been rectified according to mean camera look angle. The image scale (in meters per pixel) is given inside each individual camera folder. cam1 - intensity at 90 degree polarization cam2 - intensity at 45 degree polarization cam3 - intensity at 0 degree polarization Run start times are given as date vectors (Y,M,D,H,MN,S) in 'run_info.txt'. Camera framerate for each run is given in final column of 'run_info.txt'. Image numbers are sequential. Each frame's timestamp is the run start time plus (image number)/(FPS). That is, for a run with FPS = 30, image number 90 will be three seconds past the run start time. The 1-second log navigation is available through GRIIDC dataset R1.x134.073:0028

Individual Files: