Detection of volume scattering effects in beamwidth limited altimetry data

A waveform model for describing the contributions of surface and volume scattering is used to identify the presence of volume scattering in altimeter data. This model is sufficiently general so as to be applicable to a broad range of antenna beamwidths, operating altitudes and incidence angles. The surface model that the authors use is a variant of the Brown surface model that many authors employ. The volume model is an impulse response-based version that is similar in form to the Brown surface model but it differs from previous volume scattering models in that it is capable of modeling off-nadir pointing angles, along with arbitrary antenna beamwidths and altitudes. The surface and volume scattering models are combined to provide a total model that can be applied to any altimeter system. The authors then make a preliminary examination of waveform data from the Greenland ice shelf for a beamwidth limited altimeter to determine the effectiveness of this method and to provide a way to predict the amount of volume penetration expected for a particular altimeter system