4-D imaging of the short scale ocean waves using a slit streak tube imaging Lidar

A flash Lidar system based on a slit streak tube receiver has been developed and its functionality demonstrated for oceanographic and coastal measurements. Especially, the slit Streak Tube Imaging Lidar (STIL) can image the short scale sea-wave because of its high frame rate and good 4-D (3-D range + 1-D intensity) image quality. From the range information supplied by STIL, accuracy of sea-wave height measurement is about centimeter level. In the paper, we calculate the echo power so that STIL carried by plane can image the ocean surface. Measurements of the short scale surface wave fields in the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea are analyzed and discussed. We experimentally demonstrate that STIL can detect the short scale surface waves with high resolution.