Wind‐wave tank measurements of bound and freely propagating short gravity‐capillary waves

Measurements of the surface elevation and slope and of the backscattered radar power at X and Ka band were carried out in a wind-wave tank with mechanically generated gravity waves as well as with wind waves on slick-free and slick-covered water surfaces. The measured radar Doppler shifts show that on a slick-free water surface, bound gravity-capillary (X and Ka band Bragg) waves are generated at the crests of steep gravity waves with frequencies between 3 and 5 Hz. However, steep gravity waves with a frequency of 2Hz do not generate bound Ka band Bragg waves, and the Ka band backscattering from these waves is associated with wave breaking. In the wind speed range from 1.5 to 10m/s, bound gravity-capillary waves contribute to the X and Ka band backscatter from slick-free water surfaces. The fraction of bound to freely propagating Bragg waves depends on, among other things, radar frequency, wind speed, wave amplitude of the dominant water wave, and slick coverage. In particular, the strong damping of the gravity waves by the slick at wind speeds of approximately 8 m/s leads to the disappearance of the bound Bragg waves and therefore to a reduction of the X and Ka band Doppler shifts to values corresponding to freely propagating Bragg waves. It is concluded that the study is pertinent to the understanding of former results of radar backscattering measurements in the presence of oceanic surface films.