SMOS image reconstruction algorithm: Extension of the band limited approach to the fully-polarimetric mode of MIRAS

Abstract

It is now well established that Synthetic Aperture Imaging Radiometers (SAIR) promise to be powerful sensors for high-resolution observations of the earth at low microwave frequencies. Within this context, the European Space Agency is currently developing the SMOS mission devoted to the monitoring of Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity at global scale from Lband space borne radiometric observations obtained with a two-dimensional interferometer. This contribution is concerned with the reconstruction of radiometric brightness temperature maps from interferometric measurements. It extends the concept of band-limited resolving matrix to the case of the processing of full-polarimetric data.