Emmanuel P. Dinnat

Issues concerning the sea emissivity modeling at L band for retrieving surface salinity

[1]xa0In order to prepare the sea surface salinity (SSS) retrieval in the frame of the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission we conduct sensitivity studies to quantify uncertainties on simulated brightness temperatures (Tb) related to uncertainties on sea surface and scattering modeling. Using a two-scale sea surface emissivity model to simulate Tb at L band (1.4 GHz), we explore the influence on estimated SSS of the parameterization of the seawater permittivity, of the sea wave spectrum, of the choice of the two-scale cutoff wavelength, and of adding swell to the wind sea. Differences between Tb estimated with various existing permittivity models are up to 1.5 K. Therefore a better knowledge of the seawater permittivity at L band is required. The influence of wind speed on Tb simulated with various parameterizations of the sea wave spectrum differs by up to a factor of two; for a wind speed of 7 m s−1 the differences on estimated SSS is several psu depending on the sea wave spectral model taken, so that sea spectrum is a major source of uncertainty in models. We find no noticeable effect on simulated Tb when changing the two-scale cutoff wavelength and when adding swell to the wind sea for low to moderate incidence angles. The dependence of the wind-induced Tb on SST and SSS being weak, we assess the error in SSS estimated assuming that the wind speed influence is independent of SST and SSS. We find errors on estimated SSS up to 0.5 psu for 20°C variation in SST. Therefore this assumption would induce regional biases when applied to global measurements.

Surface Salinity Retrieved from SMOS Measurements over the Global Ocean: Imprecisions Due to Sea Surface Roughness and Temperature Uncertainties

The Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission recently led by the European Space Agency (ESA) intends to monitor soil moisture and sea surface salinity (SSS). Since the sensitivity of radiometric L-band signal to SSS is weak, measuring SSS with an acceptable accuracy is challenging: it requires both a very stable instrument and very precise corrections of other geophysical signals than the SSS affecting the L-band signal. Concentration is on the sea surface roughness and temperature (SST) effects and the extent to which they need to be corrected to optimize both SSS precision and retrieval complexity. In addition to uncertainties regarding SST and wind speed (W), realistic noise on the SMOS brightness temperatures (Tb’s) are considered and possible consequences of Tb biases are examined. In most oceanic regions, random noise in W, SST, and Tb should not hamper the SMOS SSS retrieval within the Global Ocean Data Assimilation Experiment (GODAE) requirements (a precision better than 0.1 pss over 200 km 3 200 km and 10 days). However, minimizing systematic bias errors over the time scale at which the SSS products will be averaged is critical: the GODAE requirement will not be met if Tb’s or W is biased in warm waters (258C) by 0.07 K and 0.3 m s21, respectively, and in cold waters (58C) by 0.03 K and 0.15 m s21, respectively, or if no a priori information on W is available. In order to minimize errors coming from the W natural variability, it is essential to use high-temporal-resolution wind data. The use of the first Stokes parameter instead of bipolarized Tb degrades the SSS precision by less than 10% in most regions, showing that Faraday rotation should not hamper SMOS SSS retrieval.

Satellite and In Situ Salinity: Understanding Near-Surface Stratification and Subfootprint Variability

Remote sensing of salinity using satellite-mounted microwave radiometers provides new perspectives for studying ocean dynamics and the global hydrological cycle. Calibration and validation of these measurements is challenging because satellite and in situ methods measure salinity differently. Microwave radiometers measure the salinity in the top few centimeters of the ocean, whereas most in situ observations are reported below a depth of a few meters. Additionally, satellites measure salinity as a spatial average over an area of about 100 × 100 km 2 . In contrast, in situ sensors provide pointwise measurements at the location of the sensor. Thus, the presence of vertical gradients in, and horizontal variability of, sea surface salinity complicates comparison of satellite and in situ measurements. This paper synthesizes present knowledge of the magnitude and the processes that contribute to the formation and evolution of vertical and horizontal variability in near-surface salinity. Rainfall, freshwater plumes, and evaporation can generate vertical gradients of salinity, and in some cases these gradients can be large enough to affect validation of satellite measurements. Similarly, mesoscale to submesoscale processes can lead to horizontal variability that can also affect comparisons of satellite data to in situ data. Comparisons between satellite and in situ salinity measurements must take into account both vertical stratification and horizontal variability.

Wind speed effect on L-band brightness temperature inferred from EuroSTARRS and WISE 2001 field experiments

The results from two field experiments in the Mediterranean Sea are used to study the wind speed dependence of brightness temperature at L-band. During the EuroSTARRS airborne experiment, an L-band radiometer made measurements across a large wind speed gradient, enabling us to study this dependence at high wind speed. We compare our results with a two-scale emissivity model using several representations of the sea state spectrum. While the results are encouraging, unfortunately the accuracy of the measurements does not permit us to distinguish between the so-called twice Durden and Vesecky spectrum and the Elfouhaily spectrum above 7 m/spl middot/s/sup -1/. The effect of foam is certainly small. During the WISE 2001 field experiment carried on an oil rig, we studied this dependence at low wind speed, finding an abrupt decrease of the wind speed effect on the brightness temperature below 3 m/spl middot/s/sup -1/.

Influence of sea surface emissivity model parameters at L-band for the estimation of salinity

In order to prepare the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission, we present sensitivity studies on a two-scale sea surface emissivity model used to compute brightness temperatures ( T B ) from the Sea Surface Temperature (SST), the wind vector, the incidence angle and the Sea Surface Salinity (SSS). We analyse the impact of uncertainties of the model on T B at 1.4 GHz ( u 0 = 21 cm), namely we determine the influence of the parametrization of the sea surface permittivity and of the cutoff wavelength u d (the limit which separates the short scales of the wave spectrum from the large scales). Using two existing permittivity parametrizations we find differences on T B ranging from 0.4 to 1.1 K. For SST warmer than 12°C and incidence angles smaller than 35°, the difference on T B is a bias independent of SSS and weakly dependent on SST. For these small incidence angles, the choice of the cutoff wavelength does not lead to significant differences on T B . For incidence angles larger than 40°, the permittivity parametrization and the choice of u d are more critical, resulting in a variation of T B of several tenths of a Kelvin.

The Aquarius Simulator and Cold-Sky Calibration

A numerical simulator has been developed to study remote sensing from space in the spectral window at 1.413 GHz (L-band), and it has been used to optimize the cold-sky calibration (CSC) for the Aquarius radiometers. The celestial sky is a common cold reference in microwave radiometry. It is currently being used by the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity satellite, and it is planned that, after launch, the Aquarius/SAC-D observatory will periodically rotate to view “cold sky” as part of the calibration plan. Although radiation from the celestial sky is stable and relatively well known, it varies with location. In addition, radiation from the Earth below contributes to the measured signal through the antenna back lobes and also varies along the orbit. Both effects must be taken into account for a careful calibration. The numerical simulator has been used with the Aquarius configuration (antennas and orbit) to investigate these issues and determine optimum conditions for performing a CSC. This paper provides an overview of the simulator and the analysis leading to the selection of the optimum locations for a CSC.

The Influence of Antenna Pattern on Faraday Rotation in Remote Sensing at L-Band

The influence of the pattern of the receive antenna on measured Faraday rotation is examined in the context of passive remote sensing of soil moisture and ocean salinity at L-band. Faraday rotation is an important consideration for radiometers on future missions in space, such as SMOS and Aquarius. Using the radiometer on Aquarius as an example, it is shown that, while I = Tv + Th is independent of Faraday rotation to first order, it has rotation dependence when realistic antenna patterns are included in the analysis. In addition, it is shown that using the third Stokes parameter to measure the rotation angle can yield a result that is biased by as much as 1deg by purely geometrical issues that are associated with the finite width of the main beam.

Impact of Sun Glint on Salinity Remote Sensing: An Example With the Aquarius Radiometer

The Aquarius/SAC-D mission will employ three L-band (1.41 GHz) radiometers dedicated to the remote sensing of sea surface salinity. The radiation from the Sun reflected at the ocean surface toward the radiometer is an important source of interference for retrieving salinity; in fact, the mission will be in a dawn/dusk Sun-synchronous orbit with the beams oriented toward the night side of the orbit in order to limit this signal. In this paper, the effect of ocean surface roughness on the reflected radiation is examined. The reflected Sun radiation can be separated into two components: (1) a quasi-specular component and (2) a scattered component, due largely to small-scale roughness. We show that the first component has a large brightness temperature but, in the Aquarius geometry, is located far from the antenna boresight. The scattered component has relatively small brightness temperature but can extend to the antenna boresight where the gain is maximum. This can occur at high latitude near the summer solstice when the antenna footprint is not in shadow and can cause significant contamination. While the calculations have been done for the specific geometry of the Aquarius instrument, the conclusions drawn regarding the effect of roughness on the reflected solar radiation are characteristic of remote sensing at L-band.

Ionospheric effects for L-band 2-D interferometric radiometry

Ionospheric effects are a potential error source for the estimation of surface quantities such as sea surface salinity, using L-band radiometry. This study is carried out in the context of the SMOS future space mission, which uses an interferometric radiometer. We first describe the way the Faraday rotation angle due to electron content along the observing path varies across the two-dimensional field of view. Over open ocean surfaces, we show that it is possible to retrieve the total electron content (TEC) at nadir from radiometric data considered over the bulk of the field of view, with an accuracy better than 0.5 TEC units, compatible with requirements for surface salinity observations. Using a full-polarimetric design improves the accuracy on the estimated TEC value. The random uncertainty on retrieved salinity is decreased by about 15% with respect to results obtained when using only data for the first Stokes parameter, which is immune to Faraday rotation. Similarly, TEC values over land surfaces may be retrieved with the accuracy required in the context of soil moisture measurements. Finally, direct TEC estimation provides information which should allow to correct for ionospheric attenuation as well.

Effect of Snow Surface Metamorphism on Aquarius L-Band Radiometer Observations at Dome C, Antarctica

The Antarctic Plateau presents ideal characteristics to study the relationship between microwave observations and snow/ice properties. It is also a promising target for radiometer calibration and sensor intercalibration, which are critical for applications requiring subkelvin accuracy, such as sea surface salinity retrievals. This paper presents the spaceborne Aquarius L-band radiometric observations collected since August 2011 over the Antarctic Plateau, and it focuses on their temporal evolutions at Dome C (75.1° S, 123.35° E). Aquarius operates three radiometers with a sensitivity of 0.15 K (over the oceans), allowing us to analyze small variations in brightness temperature (TB) and changes with incidence angles. Over the Antarctic Plateau, Aquarius TBs have a relatively low annual standard deviation (0.2-0.9 K) where melting never occurs. However, the analysis of the TB time series at Dome C revealed significant variations (up to 2.5 K) in summer. First, these variations are compared with a remote sensing grain index (GI) based on high-frequency (89 and 150 GHz) shallow-penetration TB channels. Variations in the ratio of TBs observed at horizontal and vertical polarizations are synchronous with GI changes. Second, Aquarius TB variations are compared with the presence of hoar crystals on the surface identified using surface-based near-infrared photographs. The largest and longest changes in TBs correspond to periods with hoar crystals on the surface. Therefore, in spite of the deep penetration of the L-band radiation, evolutions of the snow properties near the surface, which usually change rapidly and irregularly, do influence L-band observations. Collection of accurate snow surface measurements and thorough analyses of the L-band observations are thus needed to use the Antarctic Plateau as a calibration/inter-calibration target.