Assumptions and Approximations

Assumptions in deriving the retracker model

The full radar equation is descriptive, but cannot be used to obtain a range. To obtain a range (and significant wave height and 'sigma-0'), a simpler model is needed, one that can be fitted to measured waveforms. The simpler model is derived by applying four assumptions to the full radar equation. These assumptions are described below. The Derivation Diagram provides an overview of how these different assumptions feed into the derivation of the simpler model.