Satellite radar altimeters flown aboard Skylab, GEOS-3 and Seasat-1 have provided a wealth of information on oceanic processes, ice dynamics and geodesy. This paper describes satellite altimetry in its present state and forecasts its future. A brief review of present capability to measure altitude, significant wave height, wind, and current is given. Near term and long range applications are used to indicate desirable technical improvements and an evolutionary plan is presented to develop a sensor to meet future needs. The plan shows a progression from the presently available single-beam terrain profiler to a multibeamed profiling system in the near future which could measure large scale surface slopes without knowing the precise satellite orbit. Ultimately a system would be developed that provides images of height, reflectivity, and target motion. Some of this future system is vividly illustrated by data obtained with the WFC airborne Surface Contour Radar.


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    Title :

    Real-time determination of geophysical parameters from a multibeam altimeter


    Contributors:

    Conference:

    American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and NASA, Conference on ''Smart'' Sensors ; 1978 ; Hampton, VA


    Publication date :

    1978-11-01


    Type of media :

    Conference paper


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English





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