Kimmo Rautiainen

MIRAS end-to-end calibration: application to SMOS L1 processor

End-to-end calibration of the Microwave Imaging Radiometer by Aperture Synthesis (MIRAS) radiometer refers to processing the measured raw data up to dual-polarization brightness temperature maps over the earths surface, which is the level 1 product of the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission. The process starts with a self-correction of comparators offset and quadrature error and is followed by the calibration procedure itself. This one is based on periodically injecting correlated and uncorrelated noise to all receivers in order to measure their relevant parameters, which are then used to correct the raw data. This can deal with most of the errors associated with the receivers but does not correct for antenna errors, which must be included in the image reconstruction algorithm. Relative S-parameters of the noise injection network and of the input switch are needed as additional data, whereas the whole process is independent of the exact value of the noise source power and of the distribution network physical temperature. On the other hand, the approach relies on having at least one very well-calibrated reference receiver, which is implemented as a noise injection radiometer. The result is the calibrated visibility function, which is inverted by the image reconstruction algorithm to get the brightness temperature as a function of the director cosines at the antenna reference plane. The final step is a coordinate rotation to obtain the horizontal and vertical brightness temperature maps over the earth. The procedures presented are validated using a complete SMOS simulator previously developed by the authors.

L-Band Radiometer Observations of Soil Processes in Boreal and Subarctic Environments

The launch of the European Space Agency (ESA)s Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) satellite mission in November 2009 opened a new era of global passive monitoring at L-band (1.4-GHz band reserved for radio astronomy). The main objective of the mission is to measure soil moisture and sea surface salinity; the sole payload is the Microwave Imaging Radiometer using Aperture Synthesis. As part of comprehensive calibration and validation activities, several ground-based L-band radiometers, so-called ETH L-Band radiometers for soil moisture research (ELBARA-II), have been deployed. In this paper, we analyze a comprehensive set of measurements from one ELBARA-II deployment site in the northern boreal forest zone. The focus of this paper is in the detection of the evolution of soil frost (a relevant topic, e.g., for the study of carbon and methane cycles at high latitudes). We investigate the effects that soil freeze/thaw processes have on the L-band signature and present a simple modeling approach to analyze the relation between frost depth and the observed brightness temperature. Airborne observations are used to expand the analysis for different land cover types. Finally, the first SMOS observations from the same period are analyzed. Results show that soil freezing and thawing processes have an observable effect on the L-band signature of soil. Furthermore, the presented emission model is able to relate the observed dynamics in brightness temperature to the increase of soil frost.

Helsinki University of Technology L-Band Airborne Synthetic Aperture Radiometer

An airborne L-band 2-D interferometric radiometer for Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) measurements has been developed in the Helsinki University of Technology, Laboratory of Space Technology. The first successful flights were conducted in spring 2006. In this paper, the technical description, calibration, and image reconstruction philosophy and the latest results from the use of the instrument are discussed. One of the key goals of the instrument design has been to acquire L-band interferometric data to support the European Space Agencys SMOS mission that employs the L-band interferometric radiometer Microwave Interferometric Radiometer using Aperture Synthesis. Both instruments use aperture synthesis technology for the target image reconstruction in two dimensions.

First 2-D Interferometric Radiometer Imaging of the Earth From an Aircraft

The Helsinki University of Technology has recently finished the construction of a 2-D airborne aperture synthesis radiometer and conducted a successful test flight with the complete instrument. During the test flight, a number of different brightness temperature sources were measured to examine the instruments stability, electromagnetic compatibility issues, calibration methods, and image reconstruction algorithm. A set of images from this first test flight is presented, and their main features are discussed

Snow Density and Ground Permittivity Retrieved from L-Band Radiometry: A Synthetic Analysis

A synthetic study was performed to determine the potential to retrieve dry-snow density and ground permittivity from multiangular L-band brightness temperatures. The thereto employed emission model was developed from parts of the “microwave emission model of layered snowpacks” (MEMLS) coupled with components adopted from the “L-band microwave emission of the biosphere” (L-MEB) model. The restriction to L-band made it possible to avoid scattering and absorption in the snow volume, leading to a rather simple formulation of our emission model. Parametric model studies revealed L-band signatures related to the mass density of the bottom layer of a dry snowpack. This gave rise to the presented analysis of corresponding retrieval performances based on measurements synthesized with the developed emission model. The question regarding the extent to which random noise translates into retrieval uncertainties was investigated. It was found that several classes of snow densities could be distinguished by retrievals based on L-band brightness temperatures with soil moisture and ocean salinity (SMOS)-typical data quality. Further synthetic retrievals demonstrated that propagation effects must be taken into account in dry snow even at L-band when retrieving permittivity of the underlying ground surface. Accordingly, current SMOS-based retrievals seam to underestimate actual ground permittivity by typically 30% as dry snow is wrongly considered as “invisible.” Although experimental validation has not yet been performed, the proposed retrieval approach is seen as a promising step toward the full exploitation of L-band brightness temperatures available from current and future satellite Earth observation missions, especially over the cold regions of the Northern Hemisphere.

Analysis of correlation and total power radiometer front-ends using noise waves

A complete and systematic noise analysis of radiometer front-ends, including both total power and correlation measurements, is presented. The procedure uses the concepts of noise waves and S-parameters, widely used in microwave systems design and takes into account full noise characterization of receivers including mismatch effects. The general formulation is compatible with known total power radiometer analysis and is specially appropriate in correlation radiometers for which the effect of nonideal components, such as input isolators, is analyzed. Along with numerical simulations, simple formulas are given to compute the measured visibility in nonideal conditions. The analysis is validated using experimental results consisting of correlation measurements of four receivers placed inside an anechoic chamber. Good agreement between theoretical predictions and experimental data is observed.

SMOS Calibration Subsystem

Interferometric radiometry is a novel concept in remote sensing that is also presenting particular challenges for calibration methods. In this paper, we describe the calibration subsystem (CAS) developed for the Microwave Imaging Radiometer using Aperture Synthesis (MIRAS) interferometer of the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) satellite. CAS is important for the overall performance of the payload as it calibrates out the differences between the multiple receivers of MIRAS. SMOS is in the final phase of development and is due to launch in 2008.

Development of airborne aperture synthetic radiometer (HUT-2D)

An L-band airborne radiometer using two-dimensional aperture synthesis (HUT-2D) is under development in Helsinki University of Technology (HUT) for remote sensing. The low measurement frequency is suitable for soil moisture and sea surface salinity measurements. The instruments technical characteristics are similar to those of the European Space Agencys (ESA) SMOS) (Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity) satellite instrument in order to support ESA in satellite mission instrument development work. The HUT-2D instrument overview and recent test results are presented in this paper.

Soil moisture sensor calibration for organic soil surface layers

This paper’s objective is to present generic calibration functions for organic surface layers derived for the soil moisture sensors Decagon ECH2O 5TE and Delta-T ThetaProbe ML2x, using material from northern regions, mainly from the Finnish Meteorological Institute’s Arctic Research Center in Sodankylä and the study area of the Danish Center for Hydrology (HOBE). For the Decagon 5TE sensor such a function is currently not reported in the literature. Data were compared with measurements from underlying mineral soils including laboratory and field measurements. Shrinkage and charring during drying were considered. For both sensors all field and lab data showed consistent trends. For mineral layers with low soil organic matter (SOM) content the validity of the manufacturer’s calibrations was demonstrated. Deviating sensor outputs in organic and mineral horizons were identified. For the Decagon 5TE, apparent relative permittivities at a given moisture content decreased for increased SOM content, which was attributed to an increase of bound water in organic materials with large specific surface areas compared to the studied mineral soils. ThetaProbe measurements from organic horizons showed stronger nonlinearity in the sensor response and signal saturation in the high-level data. The derived calibration fit functions between sensor response and volumetric water content hold for samples spanning a wide range of humus types with differing SOM characteristics. This strengthens confidence in their validity under various conditions, rendering them highly suitable for large-scale applications in remote sensing and land surface modeling studies. Agreement between independent Decagon 5TE and ThetaProbe time series from an organic surface layer at the Sodankylä site was significantly improved when the here-proposed fit functions were used. Decagon 5TE data also well-reflected precipitation events. Thus, Decagon 5TE network data from organic surface layers at the Sodankylä and HOBE sites are based on the hereproposed natural log fit. The newly derived ThetaProbe fit functions should be used for hand-held applications only, but prove to be of value for the acquisition of instantaneous large-scale soil moisture estimates.

Effects of Meteorological and Ancillary Data, Temporal Averaging, and Evaluation Methods on Model Performance and Uncertainty in a Land Surface Model

AbstractA single-model 16-member ensemble is used to investigate how external model factors can affect model performance. Ensemble members are constructed with the land surface model (LSM) Joint UK Land Environment Simulator (JULES), with different choices of meteorological forcing [in situ, NCEP Climate Forecast System Reanalysis (CFSR)/CFSv2, or Water and Global Change (WATCH) Forcing Data ERA-Interim (WFDEI)] and ancillary datasets (in situ or remotely sensed), and with four time step modes. Effects of temporal averaging are investigated by comparing the hourly, daily, monthly, and seasonal ensemble performance against snow depth and water equivalent, soil temperature and moisture, and latent and sensible heat fluxes from one forest site and one clearing in the boreal ecozone of Finnish Lapland. Results show that meteorological data are the largest source of uncertainty; differences in ancillary data have little effect on model results. Although generally informative and representative, aggregated perf...