A low-cost field goniometer was constructed for multiangular reflectance measurements using a spectral radiometer. The goniometer consists of a circular base made of plywood approximately 4 m in diameter. A rotating arch carries a sled with the radiometer, which can be positioned at any angle relative to the test object at the center of the goniometer. Data from the radiometer are downloaded to...

The NASA-CONAE Aquarius/SAC-D observatory for measuring the changing global distribution of sea surface salinity at unprecedented accuracy from space is scheduled to launch in 2010 [1]. The Aquarius Instrument comprises a 1.4 GHz radiometer and a 1.2 GHz scatterometer, both of which share a common reflector antenna, feed network, and other electronics. The ability to measure sea surface salinit...

Active and passive microwave remote sensing data offer complementary information on the properties of the observed scene. This study investigates the relationship of L-band radiometer and radar signals to vegetation and soil during four field campaigns conducted in United States between 1999 and 2008. The study shows complex relationship between radiometer observed reflectivity and radar observ...

Validation has been performed on the Advanced-Along Track Scanning Radiometer (AATSR) Sea Surface Temperature (SST) Meteo product data at the Met Office on a daily basis. Meteo product skin SSTs have been compared with point measurements of buoy SST, and a 1-degree climate SST analysis field compiled from in situ measurements and Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer SSTs. These validation r...

The Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR) is a multi-frequency, dual-polarized microwave radiometer that detects microwave emissions from the Earth's surface and atmosphere. Various geophysical parameters, particularly those related to water (H2O), can be estimated from AMSR data. In addition to the proven parameters such as water vapor, precipitation, and sea surface wind speed, novel ...

An improved method for calculating tropospheric temperature and moisture from satellite radiometer measurements is developed. The troposphere is modeled by two temperature lapse rates and a single moisture lapse rate. These lapse rates as well as an optimum pressure level for dividing the two layers of constant lapse rate and surface temperature are calculated from three observations in the 1 5...

This paper presents the design and development of a ground-based microwave radiometer system (MWR) for the offshore oil platform. It will be used to provide long time series of geophysical parameters such as the sea-surface temperature, the near-surface wind speed and the sea ice type. The ground-based MWR is a five-frequency, dual-polarized microwave radiometer which is a total power type micr...

The design, characteristics, and operation of the Helsinki University of Technology Fully Polarimetric Radiometer (FPoR) are described. The developed 36.5-GHz radiometer can be used for airborne remote sensing; however, ground-based and laboratory measurements are also possible. A direct cross-correlation technique with analog correlators, which measures all four Stokes parameters simultaneousl...

The Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellite makes coincident global measurements of soil moisture using an L-band radar instrument and an L-band radiometer. It is crucial to evaluate the errors in the newest L-band SMAP satellite-derived soil moisture products, before they are routinely used in scientific research and applications. This study represents the first evaluation of the SMAP ra...