SMOS Radio Frequency Interference Scenario: Status and Actions Taken to Improve the RFI Environment in the 1400–1427-MHz Passive Band

Author

Oliva, Roger ; Daganzo, E. ; Kerr, Yann H. ; Mecklenburg, Susanne ; Nieto, Sara ; Richaume, Philippe ; Gruhier, Claire

Author_Institution

Eur. Space Astron. Centre (ESAC), Eur. Space Agency, Madrid, Spain

Volume

50

Issue

5

fYear

2012

fDate

5/1/2012 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

1427

Lastpage

1439

Abstract

The European Space Agency´s Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission is perturbed by radio frequency interferences (RFIs) that jeopardize part of its scientific retrieval in certain areas of the world, particularly over continental areas in Europe, Southern Asia, and the Middle East. Areas affected by RFI might experience data loss or underestimation of soil moisture and ocean salinity retrieval values. To alleviate this situation, the SMOS team has put strategies in place that, one year after launch, have already improved the RFI situation in Europe where half of the sources have been successfully localized and switched off.

Keywords

hydrological techniques; moisture; ocean temperature; oceanographic techniques; radiofrequency interference; radiometry; seawater; soil; European Space Agency; Middle East; RFI environment; SMOS; Southern Asia; continental area; frequency 1400 GHz to 1427 GHz; ocean salinity retrieval value; passive band; radiofrequency interference scenario; soil moisture retrieval value; Contamination; Europe; Instruments; Microwave radiometry; Pollution measurement; Satellites; Soil moisture; L-band radiometry; Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission; radio frequency interferences (RFIs); satellite remote sensing;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Geoscience and Remote Sensing, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0196-2892

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/TGRS.2012.2182775

Filename

6148276