Possibilities and limitations of current measurements by airborne and spaceborne along-track interferometric SAR

With the development of reliable and computationally efficient data processing algorithms and a growing demand for high-resolution synoptic current measurements, along-track synthetic aperture radar interferometry (ATI) is becoming an attractive new technique for oceanic and coastal applications. After a number of successful experiments with airborne interferometric radars, the development of concepts for satellite-based ATI systems has started. We review findings of several authors working in this field, present results of a previous experiment in the German Bight, and discuss possibilities and limitations of current measurements by ATI from space