Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Retrieval of sea surface winds under hurricane conditions from GNSS-R observations

  • Published:
Acta Oceanologica Sinica Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Reflected signals from global navigation satellite systems (GNSSs) have been widely acknowledged as an important remote sensing tool for retrieving sea surface wind speeds. The power of GNSS reflectometry (GNSS-R) signals can be mapped in delay chips and Doppler frequency space to generate delay Doppler power maps (DDMs), whose characteristics are related to sea surface roughness and can be used to retrieve wind speeds. However, the bistatic radar cross section (BRCS), which is strongly related to the sea surface roughness, is extensively used in radar. Therefore, a bistatic radar cross section (BRCS) map with a modified BRCS equation in a GNSS-R application is introduced. On the BRCS map, three observables are proposed to represent the sea surface roughness to establish a relationship with the sea surface wind speed. Airborne Hurricane Dennis (2005) GNSS-R data are then used. More than 16 000 BRCS maps are generated to establish GMFs of the three observables. Finally, the proposed model and classic one-dimensional delay waveform (DW) matching methods are compared, and the proposed model demonstrates a better performance for the high wind speed retrievals.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Apel J R. 1994. An improved model of the ocean surface wave vector spectrum and its effects on radar backscatter. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans (1978-2012), 99(C8): 16269–16291

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clarizia M P, Gommenginger C, Di Bisceglie M, et al. 2012. Simulation of L-band bistatic returns from the ocean surface: a facet approach with application to ocean GNSS reflectometry. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, 50(3): 960–971

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clarizia M P, Ruf C S, Jales P, et al. 2014. Spaceborne GNSS-R minimum variance wind speed estimator. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, 52(11): 6829–6843

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • De Vos Van Steenwijk R, Unwin M, Jales P. 2010. Introducing the SGR-ReSI: A next generation spaceborne GNSS receiver for navigation and remote-sensing. In: Processing of the 5th ESA Workshop on Satellite Navigation Technologies and European Workshop on GNSS Signals and Signal Processing (NAVITEC). Noordwijk: IEEE, 1–7

    Google Scholar 

  • Dickinson J R, Alvarez J L, McDaniel L T, et al. 2014. CYGNSS command and data subsystem and electrical power subsystem phase A and B developments. In: Processing of the 2014 IEEE Aerospace Conference. Big Sky, MT: IEEE, 1–10

    Google Scholar 

  • Donelan M A, Haus B K, Reul N, et al. 2004. On the limiting aerodynamic roughness of the ocean in very strong winds. Geophysical Research Letters, 31(18): L18306

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Durden S L, Vesecky J F. 1985. A physical radar cross-section model for a wind-driven sea with swell. IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering, 10(4): 445–451

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Elfouhaily T, Chapron B, Katsaros K, et al. 1997. A unified directional spectrum for long and short wind-driven waves. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans (1978–2012), 102(C7): 15781–15796

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Elfouhaily T, Thompson D R, Linstrom L. 2002. Delay-Doppler analysis of bistatically reflected signals from the ocean surface: theory and application. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, 40(3): 560–573

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Foti G, Gommenginger C, Jales P, et al. 2015. Spaceborne GNSS reflectometry for ocean winds: First results from the UK Tech-DemoSat-1 mission. Geophysical Research Letters, 42(13): 5435–5441

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garrison J L, Katzberg S J, Zavorotny V U, et al. 2000. Comparison of sea surface wind speed estimates from reflected GPS signals with buoy measurements. In: Proceedings of the IEEE 2000 International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium. Honolulu, HI: IEEE, 3087–3089

    Google Scholar 

  • Garrison J L, Komjathy A, Zavorotny V U, et al. 2002. Wind speed measurement using forward scattered GPS signals. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, 40(1): 50–65

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gleason S. 2013. Space-based GNSS scatterometry: Ocean wind sensing using an empirically calibrated model. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, 51(9): 4853–4863

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gleason S, Zavorotny V. 2006. Bistatic radar cross section measurements of ocean scattered GPS signals from low earth orbit. In: Proceedings of the IEEE International Conference on Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium. Denver, CO: IEEE: 1308–1311

    Google Scholar 

  • Katzberg S J, Dunion J. 2009. Comparison of reflected GPS wind speed retrievals with dropsondes in tropical cyclones. Geophysical Research Letters, 36(17): L17602

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Katzberg S J, Garrison J L. 1996. Utilizing GPS to Determine Ionospheric Delay over the Ocean. Hampton, Virginia: National Aeronautics and Space Administration

    Google Scholar 

  • Katzberg S J, Torres O, Ganoe G. 2006. Calibration of reflected GPS for tropical storm wind speed retrievals. Geophysical Research Letters, 33(18): L18602

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Komjathy A, Armatys M, Masters D, et al. 2004. Retrieval of ocean surface wind speed and wind direction using reflected GPS signals. Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology, 21(3): 515–526

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Komjathy A, Zavorotny V U, Axelrad P, et al. 2000. GPS signal scattering from sea surface: wind speed retrieval using experimental data and theoretical model. Remote Sensing of Environment, 73(2): 162–174

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kudryavtsev V N, Makin V K, Chapron B. 1999. Coupled sea surfaceatmosphere model: 2. Spectrum of short wind waves. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans (1978–2012), 104(C4): 7625–7639

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee T, Li Z, Lowe S, et al. 2013. Observing Energetic Eddies with GNSS reflections from the ISS. Communication to the ESA Science Advisory Group of the GEROS Mission

    Google Scholar 

  • Li Chen, Huang Weimin. 2014. An algorithm for sea-surface wind field retrieval from GNSS-R delay-Doppler map. IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Letters, 11(12): 2110–2114

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martin-Neira M. 1993. A passive reflectometry and interferometry system (PARIS): application to ocean altimetry. ESA Journal, 17: 331–355

    Google Scholar 

  • Rodriguez-Alvarez N, Akos D M, Zavorotny V U, et al. 2013. Airborne GNSS-R wind retrievals using delay–doppler maps. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, 51(1): 626–641

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ruf C S, Gleason S, Jelenak Z, et al. 2012. The CYGNSS nanosatellite constellation hurricane mission. In: Proceedings of the 2012 IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium (IGARSS). Munich: IEEE, 214–216

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Ruf C, Lyons A, Unwin M, et al. 2013. CYGNSS: enabling the future of hurricane prediction [remote sensing satellites]. IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Magazine, 1(2): 52–67

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Unwin M, De Vos Van Steenwijk R, Gommenginger C, et al. 2010. The SGR-ReSI-a new generation of space GNSS receiver for remote sensing. In: Proceedings of the 23rd International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of the Institute of Navigation (ION GNSS 2010). Portland, OR: 1061–1067

    Google Scholar 

  • Unwin M, Gleason S, Brennan M. 2003. The space GPS reflectometry experiment on the UK disaster monitoring constellation satellite. In: Proceedings of the 16th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GPS/GNSS 2003). Portland, OR, 2656–2663

    Google Scholar 

  • Unwin M, Jales P, Blunt P, et al. 2013. The SGR-ReSI and its application for GNSS reflectometry on the NASA EV-2 CYGNSS mission. In: Proceedings of the 2013 IEEE Aerospace Conference. Big Sky, MT: IEEE, 1–6

    Google Scholar 

  • Valencia E, Camps A, Marchan-Hernandez J F, et al. 2011. Ocean surface's scattering coefficient retrieval by delay–Doppler map inversion. IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Letters, 8(4): 750–754

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Valencia E, Zavorotny V U, Akos D M, et al. 2014. Using DDM asymmetry metrics for wind direction retrieval from GPS oceanscattered signals in airborne experiments. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, 52(7): 3924–3936

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wickert J, Andersen O B, Beyerle G, et al. 2013. GEROS-ISS: GNSS reflectometry, radio occultation and scatterometry onboard the international space station. In: Proceedings of the 4th International Colloquium on Scientific and Fundamental Aspects of the Galileo Programme. Prague: ESA, 3

    Google Scholar 

  • Zavorotny V U, Voronovich A G. 2000. Scattering of GPS signals from the ocean with wind remote sensing application. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, 38(2): 951–964

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The work reported in this paper could not have been performed without the airborne Hurricane Dennis GPS-R data and the generous assistance of Stephen J Katzberg.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing Science, Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China

    Cheng Jing, Xiaofeng Yang, Wentao Ma, Yang Yu, Di Dong & Ziwei Li

  2. National Engineering Center for Geoinformatics, Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China

    Cong Xu

Authors
  1. Cheng Jing
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Xiaofeng Yang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Wentao Ma
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Yang Yu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Di Dong
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Ziwei Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Cong Xu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Xiaofeng Yang.

Additional information

Foundation item: The National Natural Science Foundation of China under contract No. 41371355; the Director Fund Project of Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth of CAS under contract No. Y6SJ0600CX.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Jing, C., Yang, X., Ma, W. et al. Retrieval of sea surface winds under hurricane conditions from GNSS-R observations. Acta Oceanol. Sin. 35, 91–97 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13131-016-0933-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13131-016-0933-7

Key words

Search

Navigation