Modulation of L-band signals by the sea surface roughness

AGU Fall Meeting 3–7 December 2012, San Francisco, CaliforniaIn the context of the ESA SMOS and Aquarius/SAC-D missions, sea surface thermal emission in L-band is measured from space since almost 3 and 1 years respectively. Using a new instrumental concept for the first one, a Microwave Imaging Radiometer using two dimensional aperture synthesis, sea surface brightness temperatures can be extracted under a large range of incidence and azimuthal angles, and different spatial resolutions. Although using a more classical real aperture radiometer, Aquarius derives its originality from measuring quasi simultaneously active and passive signals for three different incidence and azimuthal angles. A lot of works have been done the last ten years to develop physically based scattering models in order to accurately predict the sea surface roughness impact on brightness temperatures. Recent results have shown that non negligible discrepancies exist between these models and this new data set of L-band measurements. This presentation will provide a review of the last empirical adjustments of radar normalized cross sections and sea surface brightness temperatures modulations by different sea surface roughness characteristics. A discussion regarding possible improvements in electromagnetic scattering modeling and inherent sea surface spectral description will be proposedPeer Reviewe

SMOS: Objectives and Approach for Ocean Salinity Observations

International audienceSMOS (Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity), launched in November 2, 2009 is the first satellite mission addressing the salinity measurement from space through the use of MIRAS (Microwave Imaging Radiometer with Aperture Synthesis), a new two-dimensional interferometer designed by the European Space Agency (ESA) and operating at L-band. This paper presents a summary of the sea surface salinity retrieval approach implemented in SMOS, as well as first results obtained after completing the mission commissioning phase in May 2010. A large number of papers have been published about salinity remote sensing and its implementation in the SMOS mission. An extensive list of references is provided here, many authored by the SMOS ocean salinity team, with emphasis on the different physical processes that have been considered in the SMOS salinity retrieval algorithm

SMOS: Objectives and Approach for Ocean Salinity Observations

International audienceSMOS (Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity), launched in November 2, 2009 is the first satellite mission addressing the salinity measurement from space through the use of MIRAS (Microwave Imaging Radiometer with Aperture Synthesis), a new two-dimensional interferometer designed by the European Space Agency (ESA) and operating at L-band. This paper presents a summary of the sea surface salinity retrieval approach implemented in SMOS, as well as first results obtained after completing the mission commissioning phase in May 2010. A large number of papers have been published about salinity remote sensing and its implementation in the SMOS mission. An extensive list of references is provided here, many authored by the SMOS ocean salinity team, with emphasis on the different physical processes that have been considered in the SMOS salinity retrieval algorithm

SMOS: Objectives and Approach for Ocean Salinity Observations

International audienceSMOS (Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity), launched in November 2, 2009 is the first satellite mission addressing the salinity measurement from space through the use of MIRAS (Microwave Imaging Radiometer with Aperture Synthesis), a new two-dimensional interferometer designed by the European Space Agency (ESA) and operating at L-band. This paper presents a summary of the sea surface salinity retrieval approach implemented in SMOS, as well as first results obtained after completing the mission commissioning phase in May 2010. A large number of papers have been published about salinity remote sensing and its implementation in the SMOS mission. An extensive list of references is provided here, many authored by the SMOS ocean salinity team, with emphasis on the different physical processes that have been considered in the SMOS salinity retrieval algorithm

SMOS: Objectives and Approach for Ocean Salinity Observations

International audienceSMOS (Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity), launched in November 2, 2009 is the first satellite mission addressing the salinity measurement from space through the use of MIRAS (Microwave Imaging Radiometer with Aperture Synthesis), a new two-dimensional interferometer designed by the European Space Agency (ESA) and operating at L-band. This paper presents a summary of the sea surface salinity retrieval approach implemented in SMOS, as well as first results obtained after completing the mission commissioning phase in May 2010. A large number of papers have been published about salinity remote sensing and its implementation in the SMOS mission. An extensive list of references is provided here, many authored by the SMOS ocean salinity team, with emphasis on the different physical processes that have been considered in the SMOS salinity retrieval algorithm

SMOS: Objectives and Approach for Ocean Salinity Observations

International audienceSMOS (Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity), launched in November 2, 2009 is the first satellite mission addressing the salinity measurement from space through the use of MIRAS (Microwave Imaging Radiometer with Aperture Synthesis), a new two-dimensional interferometer designed by the European Space Agency (ESA) and operating at L-band. This paper presents a summary of the sea surface salinity retrieval approach implemented in SMOS, as well as first results obtained after completing the mission commissioning phase in May 2010. A large number of papers have been published about salinity remote sensing and its implementation in the SMOS mission. An extensive list of references is provided here, many authored by the SMOS ocean salinity team, with emphasis on the different physical processes that have been considered in the SMOS salinity retrieval algorithm