Validation of the SIRF resolution enhancement algorithm for scatterometer data using SAR imagery

The inherently low resolution of spaceborne scatterometer measurements, limits the utility of this data in studies of land and ice surfaces. The scatterometer image reconstruction (SIR) algorithm was developed to increase the resolution of reconstructed scatterometer imagery by using multiple passes of the satellite. SIRF imagery created from data collected by the NASA scatterometer (NSCAT) is generated and compared to ERS-2 and RADARSAT SAR imagery. The comparisons show that SIRF images have higher resolution than nonenhanced gridded images. Low-pass filtered strips from the SAR image as well as small point targets are used to show that the effective resolution of the NSCAT imagery is on the order of 10 km