Global land surface monitoring using the ERS-1 scatterometer

More than two years of global radar backscatter measurements from the C-band scatterometer aboard the First European Remote Sensing Satellite (ERS-1) are used to investigate radar signatures of land surfaces and their seasonal variation. These scatterometer measurements are independent of cloud coverage and illumination by the Sun and, therefore, superior to measurements by optical systems. Compared to the synthetic aperture radar (SAR) aboard ERS-1, the scatterometer delivers a manageable amount of data albeit the global within 3 to 4 days and a geometric resolution which is reasonable for many applications. The authors illustrate the potential of the scatterometer data for global land surface monitoring, especially when exploiting the multi-temporal and multi-incidence angle capabilities of the ERS-1 scatterometer