Title :
Interferometric synthetic aperture microwave radiometry for the remote sensing of the Earth
Author :
Ruf, Christopher S. ; Swift, Calvin T. ; Tanner, Alan B. ; Le Vine, David M.
Author_Institution :
Microwave Remote Sending Lab., Massachusetts Univ., Amherst, MA, USA
fDate :
9/1/1988 12:00:00 AM
Abstract :
Interferometric aperture synthesis is presented as an alternative to real aperture measurements of the Earth´s brightness temperature from low Earth orbit. The signal-to-noise performance of a single interferometric measurement is considered, and the noise characteristics of the brightness temperature image produced from the interferometer measurements are discussed. The sampling requirements of the measurements and the resulting effects of the noise in the measurements on the image are described. The specific case of the electronically steered thinned array radiometer (ESTAR) currently under construction is examined. The ESTAR prototype is described in detail sufficient to permit a performance evaluation of its spatial and temperature resolution. Critical aspects of an extension of the ESTAR sensor to a larger spaceborne system are considered. Of particular important are the number and placement of antenna elements in the imaging array
Keywords :
geophysical techniques; remote sensing; ESTAR; artificial satellite; brightness temperature; electronically steered thinned array radiometer; interferometry method; passive method; remote sensing; synthetic aperture microwave radiometry; Brightness temperature; Extraterrestrial measurements; Image sampling; Low earth orbit satellites; Microwave radiometry; Noise measurement; Prototypes; Signal synthesis; Spatial resolution; Temperature sensors;
Journal_Title :
Geoscience and Remote Sensing, IEEE Transactions on
