HR: 0800h
AN: G41A-0346    [Abstracts]
TI: Backscattered Waveform Analysis By Using A New Radar Altimeter Simulator For Envisat
AU: * Osmanoglu, B
EM: bosmanoglu@rsmas.miami.edu
AF: Division of Marine Geology and Geophysics, University of Miami, 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, FL 33149 United States
AU: Kartal, M
EM: mkartal@ehb.itu.edu.tr
AF: Electrical and Communications Eng. Dept., Istanbul Technical University, Maslak Campus, Istanbul, 34396 Turkey
AU: Wdowinski, S
EM: shimonw@rsmas.miami.edu
AF: Division of Marine Geology and Geophysics, University of Miami, 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, FL 33149 United States
AU: Dixon, T
EM: tdixon@rsmas.miami.edu
AF: Division of Marine Geology and Geophysics, University of Miami, 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, FL 33149 United States
AB: Radar Altimeters (RA) are designed to analyze the topography of the ocean surface. Envisat Radar Altimeter-2 (RA2) is a new breed of radar altimeter with increased capability due to on board Model Free Tracker (MFT). Increased stability, ability to follow continuous slopes and maintaining lock on rougher surfaces are important benefits of MFT. RA2 has a resolution of 400 m along track and 18 km across track, which is convenient for ocean monitoring. It is possible to benefit more from RA2 using waveform analysis methods. Relationship between the backscattered waveform and topographic properties of the area inside the footprint has to be known for such an analysis. A simulator is being developed in order to shed light to this relationship. The two new features of our simulator are: (1) observation of echo waveform with respect to different surface characteristics, and (2) modification of the footprint analysis from a single mean value to equi-height annuluses (rings), which we further analyze by evaluating the coherency between along track measurements. Preliminary results of our simulator show that it is possible to differentiate sudden changes over the ocean surface, such as ships. Analysis of the simulation results is an ongoing study, and further understanding of the effects of surface topography on the waveform is needed to fully apply this method on real altimetry data.
DE: 1855 Remote sensing (1640)
SC: Geodesy [G]
MN: Fall Meeting 2005