SMOS: a satellite mission to measure ocean surface salinity

摘要: The ESA's SMOS (Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity) Earth Explorer Opportunity Mission will be launched by 2005. Its baseline payload is a microwave L-band (21 cm, 1.4 GHz) 2D interferometric radiometer, Y shaped, with three arms 4.5 m long. This frequency allows the measurement of brightness temperature (Tb) under best conditions to retrieve soil moisture sea surface salinity (SSS). Unlike other oceanographic variables, until now it has not been possible measure from space. However, large ocean areas lack significant measurements. interferometer Tb at different incidence angles, for two polarizations. It obtain SSS passive measurements if factors influencing (SST, roughness, foam, sun glint, rain, ionospheric effects galactic/cosmic background radiation) can accounted for. Since radiometric sensitivity low, cannot recovered required accuracy single as error about 1-2 psu. If errors contributing uncertainty in are random, averaging independent data views along track, considering 200 km square, allow reduced 0.1-0.2 pus, assuming all ancillary budgeted.