<title>Marine applications of synthetic aperture radar in China</title>

Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) remote sensing ofthe ocean from space in China began in the early 1990s. This paper presents the research and marine applications of synthetic aperture radar technique in China. Research activities in SAR remote sensing range from basic research to technique development. Basic research has been focused on studies of SAR imaging mechanisms. Technique development has been given to methodology for extracting information about sea surface waves internal waves water bottom topography and ship detection. Applications of SAR data include the study of oceanic phenomena and coastal environmental monitoring. Some examples are presented. Future research and applications are discussed.