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Field experiments on radar probing of plastic debris in the surface layer of a water body

S.A. Ermakov^{1, 2} , V.A. Dobrokhotov¹ , O.A. Danilicheva¹ , G.V. Leshchev¹ , L.M. Plotnikov¹ , I.A. Sergievskaya^{1, 2}

¹ Institute of Applied Physics RAS, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
² Volga State University of Water Transport, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia

Accepted: 11.12.2025
DOI: 10.21046/2070-7401-2026-23-2-279-289

Results of field experiments on the pressing problem of radar probing of plastic debris in water environment are presented. The Ka- and X-band microwave remote sensing of different types of plastic debris, namely, volumetric debris such as foam rubber pieces floating in water and submerged plastic film, has been conducted. It was found that wind waves of dm-m range passing through an area of fragmented debris (foam) are strongly suppressed, and the damping coefficient has a maximum at frequencies close to the oscillation frequencies of the debris fragments. The attenuation can be explained by the excitation of resonant oscillations of the fragments by the waves. A submerged film does not significantly damp wind waves. In the downwind area of the water surface, a region of reduced scattered radar signal intensity, known as a radar wake, arise for foam rubber, while a wake does not form for submerged film. The intensity of microwave scattering on foam rubber pieces is non-polarized and is presumably related to scattering on surface irregularities and the edges of the foam rubber pieces; the scattering intensity is 1.5–2 orders of magnitude higher than the scattering on undisturbed wind waves. The scattering on the submerged film is approximately an order of magnitude higher than for wind waves, and it is polarized and related to the excitation of secondary small-scale waves of Bragg wavelengths (cm-range wavelengths) above the film, due to its vibrations caused by longer wind waves.

Keywords: wind waves, radar, fragmented plastic debris, polyethylene film

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References:

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