An improved simulation model for spaceborne scatterometer measurements

Development of scatterometer designs and applications requires extensive data simulation. The advancing capabilities of instruments motivates our proposal for an improved simulation model for noisy scatterometer measurements. Previous simulation models do not separately account for the two forms of random variation—signal fading and additive noise—which affect scatterometer measurements. The proposed model is able to generate data that are statistically equivalent (in a mean and variance sense) to actual instrument measurements by accounting for both variations, while maintaining ease of implementation. The model is particularly adept at handling design tradeoffs related to signal-to-noise ratios by appropriately separating fading and additive noise. Unlike previous models, the new model also can account for correlation between measurements, an issue that has recently become important.