Following the succesful series of C-band scatterometers, EUMETSAT started the process of defining the next generation scatterometer, i.e., for the EUMETSAT Polar System Second Generation (EPS SG; see related link). ESA's role is to design and build the EPS system based on the EPS SG mission requirements of EUMETSAT. Therefore, ESA led a project to simulate the wind performance of scatterometer systems considered for EPS SG, wherein KNMI participated.

For supporting the instrument concept elaboration by the industrial study teams during EPS SG Phase 0, KNMI has developed retrieval algorithms tailored to  those concepts, derived from the ASCAT operational algorithms. Moreover, specific metrics were defined to characterize the associated retrieval performance. The metrics used for the performance assessment were:

1. Wind vector RMS error
2. Ambiguity susceptibility
3. Wind biases

The end-to-end performance evaluation makes use as input of an ensemble of wind-fields having a climatological distribution, generates the output wind-fields which account for the measurement system imperfections and geophysical noise, and computes the performance metrics.

KNMI concludes that that two concepts are able to meet the observation requirements of EPS SG, namely a fixed fan beam scatterometer and a rotating fan beam scatterometer. A pencil-beam C-band scatterometer would not fulfil the EPS SG requirements.

The concepts studied are VV polarisation and performance assessment of concepts including horiziontal polarization are still under consideration.

Please contact us for your comments or your interest in the EPS SG scatterometer simulator software.

Belmonte Rivas, M., J. de Kloe and A. Stoffelen, Study of an Objective Performance Measure for Spaceborne Wind Sensors Document external project: 2010, ESA Contract No. 18041/04/NL/AR, 2010. Abstract (html)  Complete text (pdf: 2 MB)

Lin, C.C., M. Betto, M. Belmonte Rivas, A. Stoffelen and J. de Kloe, POST-EPS WIND SCATTEROMETER CONCEPT TRADE-OFFS AND WIND RETRIEVAL PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT 2010 EUMETSAT Meteorological Satellite Conference, 20/9/2010-24/9/2010, EUMETSAT (Ed), 2010, Cordoba, Spain, EUMETSAT, EUMETSAT, ISBN 978-92-9110-089-7. Abstract (html)  Complete text (pdf: 919 KB)

Stoffelen, A., M. Belmonte Rivas and J. de Kloe, On Performance Measures for Spaceborne Wind Sensors Presentation: International Ocean Vector Winds Science Team, 18/5/2010-22/5/2010, Barcelona, CSIC (int.). Abstract (html)

Egger, G. and M. Belmonte Rivas, Post-EPS Competing Scatterometer Designs: ASCAT versus RFSCAT ARSI - Advanced RF Sensors and Remote Sensing Instruments, 16/11/2009-18/11/2009, 2009, Noordwijk (The Netherlands), European Space Agency. Abstract (html)  Complete text (pdf: 396 KB)

Stoffelen, A., M. Belmonte-Rivas and J. de Kloe, Scatterometer wind retrieval simulator and figure of merit Presentation: The China-French CFOsat science team meeting, 13/10/2009-15/10/2009, Xi'an, China, CNSA/SOA (int.). Abstract (html)  Complete text (pdf: 782 KB)

Please contact Ad Stoffelen.