SMOS Calibration and Instrument Performance After One Year in Orbit

作者：Oliva Roger^*; Martin Neira Manuel; Corbella Ignasi; Torres Francesc; Kainulainen Juha; Tenerelli Joseph E; Cabot Francois; Martin Porqueras Fernando

来源：IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, 2013, 51(1): 654-670.

DOI：10.1109/TGRS.2012.2198827

• Calibration
• instrument performance
• L-band radiometry
• satellite remote sensing
• Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission

This paper summarizes the rationale for the European Space Agency%26apos;s Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission routine calibration plan, including the analysis of the calibration parameter annual variability, and the performances and stability of SMOS images after one year of data. SMOS spends 1.68% of the total observation time in calibration. The instrument performs well within expectations with regard to accuracy and radiometric sensitivity, although spatial ripples are present in SMOS images. Several mechanisms are currently used or under investigation to mitigate this problem. Also, a loss antenna model has recently been introduced to correct for physical temperature-induced effects. This antenna model successfully corrects observed orbital variations, but has difficulties in correcting brightness temperature long-term drifting, as assessed using relatively well-known targets other than the external calibration region-cold space.

• 出版日期2013-1