Measuring ocean wave period with satellite altimeters: A simple empirical model

A simple empirical model is proposed to retrieve wave period from Ku‐band radar altimeter backscatter and significant wave height. The model formulation is heuristic, and fitted using a large dataset of collocated Topex altimeter and buoys measurements. Empirical models are proposed for the zero up‐crossing, the mean and the peak wave period, and compared with models by Davies et al. [1997] and Hwang et al. [1998]. Their performance is assessed using an independent validation dataset, and gives a retrieval error of 0.8s. Regional analysis indicates that the wave period models perform better in wind seas than in swell‐dominated conditions.