Soil moisture retrieval and applications from L band radiometry (SMOS)
Résumé
This paper discusses the potential of a L-band 2-D microwave interferometric radiometer for monitoring surface variables over land surfaces. The instrument is the payload of the SMOS Mission (Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity), selected for phase A studies by the European Space Agency (ESA) in answer to the call for Earth Explorer Opportunity Missions. The L-band radiometer is based on an innovative bi-dimensional aperture synthesis concept. This sensor has new and significant capabilities, especially in terms of multi-angular viewing configurations.