HR: 0800h
AN: G41A-0344    [Abstracts]
TI: ENVISAT Radar Altimeter Individual Echoes and S-Band Investigations
AU: Zanife, O
G41A-0344 AF: CLS, 8-10 Rue HermŠs, Ramonville St-Agne, 31526 France
AU: Roca, M
G41A-0344 AF: Pildo, Llacuna 162, Barcelona, 08018 Spain
AU: Remy, F
G41A-0344 AF: LEGOS, 18 Ave E Belin, Toulouse, 31055 France
AU: Legresy, B
G41A-0344 AF: LEGOS, 18 Ave E Belin, Toulouse, 31055 France
AU: Chapron, B
G41A-0344 AF: IFREMER, BP70, Plouzane, 29280 France
AU: Laxon, S
G41A-0344 AF: UCL, Gower st, London, WC1E 6BT United Kingdom
AU: Milagro-Peres, M
G41A-0344 AF: European Space Agency, via Galileo Galilei, Frascati, 00044 Italy
AU: * Benveniste, J
EM: Jerome.Benveniste@esa.int
AF: European Space Agency, via Galileo Galilei, Frascati, 00044 Italy
AB: A unique feature of the ENVISAT RA-2 is to provide bursts of individual, unaveraged Ku band echo sample data in phase (I) and quadrature (Q), at the full rate 1800 Hz. This data offers a unique possibility to assess the full capabilities of altimeter measurements. Both technically and scientifically, much can be expected from these bursts of individual echoes, e.g., speckle characteristics over different altimeter scenes, ocean, ice, land, but also, potential blurring effects associated with range window changes during the 100 echoes on-board averaging. Moreover, for the first time in altimetry from space, investigations can be carried on the direct use of phase information from backscatter signals. ENVISAT RA-2 also features a second frequency in S band. The combination between absolutely calibrated Ku and S band data can yield interesting improvement for wind speed, wave period, gas exchange estimates, etc. ESA has run a study on this topic to seed the use of individual echoes by scientists. This study is completed and reconstructed echoes will be made available for the first time to the scientific community. Final results from the technical and scientific application of individual echoes and S band data will be presented.
DE: 1222 Ocean monitoring with geodetic techniques (1225, 1641, 3010, 4532, 4556, 4560, 6959)
DE: 1225 Global change from geodesy (1222, 1622, 1630, 1641, 1645, 4556)
DE: 1641 Sea level change (1222, 1225, 4556)
DE: 3010 Gravity and isostasy (1218, 1222)
DE: 4532 General circulation (1218, 1222)
SC: Geodesy [G]
MN: Fall Meeting 2005