Non-space applications of GNSS-R: From research to operational services. Examples of water and land monitoring systems

The use of global navigation satellite signals for Earth Observation is recognized today as a complementary technique for remotely monitoring our planet. The current interest of this remote sensing technique is leading to the continuous development of new applications by the scientific community and to an increasing relevance in specific market niches. Starlab Barcelona has developed several GNSS-R applications that have reached over the last decade an operational maturity level in water-oriented services. These include sea applications, such as sea state monitoring and sea level monitoring, as well as inland water applications, namely water reservoir level monitoring. In addition, in the last years, there has also been increasing interest in soil applications, which has led to the establishment of new research lines targeting the measurement of land bio-geophysical parameters. These applications are reviewed in the current paper.