Simultaneous ocean surface current and wind vectors retrieval with squinted SAR interferometry: Geophysical inversion and performance assessment

Using the baseline two-look instrument configuration and realistic instrument noise figures (radiometric resolution: kp = 5 and 12%; Δdf = 2 and 5 Hz), the root-mean square errors (RMSE) of the retrieved current and wind vectors are typically better than [0.1 m/s, 10°] for current and [0.5 m/s, 5°] for wind. This inversion setup yields four ambiguous solutions within a current range of ∼1 m/s. The addition of dual polarization (VV, HH) capability helps to discriminate these ambiguities. The retrieval performance depends weakly on geophysical parameters such as wind speed, current velocity or current direction, but is sensitive to wind direction because of its strong effect on current retrieval through the wind-wave induced artifact surface velocity (WASV). Larger retrieval errors are obtained when the wind is aligned with one of the antenna line-of-sight (LoS) directions, although errors remain typically below [0.2 m/s, 25°] for current and [0.5 m/s, 15°] for wind. Improving the retrieval performance regardless of wind direction could be achieved either with lower noise figures on σ0, or with higher incidence angles, or by including an additional third-look direction in azimuth (e.g. to achieve a configuration similar to Metop/ASCAT scatterometers) as per the SEASTAR mission concept submitted to EE10.