Tandem-L is a proposal for an innovative
interferometric and polarimetric radar mission that enables the
systematic monitoring of dynamic processes on the Earth
surface. Important mission objectives are global forest height
and biomass inventories, large scale measurements of
millimetric displacements due to tectonic shifts, and systematic
observations of glacier movements. The innovative mission
concept and the high data acquisition capacity of Tandem-L
provide a unique data source to observe, analyze and quantify
the dynamics of a wide range of mutually interacting processes
in the bio-, litho-, hydro- and cryosphere. By this, Tandem-L
will be an essential step to advance our understanding of the
Earth system and its intricate dynamics.
This paper provides an overview of the Tandem-L mission
concept and its main application areas. Performance predictions
show the great potential of Tandem-L to acquire a wide range of
bio- and geophysical parameters with high accuracy on a global
scale. Innovative aspects like the employment of advanced
digital beamforming techniques to improve performance and
coverage are discussed in detail
