Polarimetric instrument Global Navigation Satellite System - Reflectometry airborne data.

Area of Science:

• Earth and Space Science
• Remote Sensing
• Environmental Monitoring

Background:

• Global Navigation Satellite System - Reflectometry (GNSS-R) is an emerging technique for Earth observation.
• Existing datasets often lack comprehensive airborne observables and simultaneous ground validation.
• The LIAISE campaign provided a unique opportunity to collect integrated data.

Purpose of the Study:

• To release the first complete airborne GNSS-R dataset with associated ground truth measurements.
• To facilitate research in soil moisture and vegetation retrievals using GNSS-R.
• To support the calibration and validation of GNSS-R models for future space missions.

Main Methods:

• Acquisition of airborne GNSS-R data using the GLORI instrument during the LIAISE campaign.
• Collection of in-situ ground truth data, including soil moisture, roughness, and Leaf Area Index (LAI).
• Development of a land use map with ground truth plots for data evaluation.

Main Results:

• A comprehensive airborne GNSS-R dataset including reflectivity and SNR components (co- and cross-polarized) is now available.
• Simultaneous in-situ soil and land use datasets provide crucial ground validation.
• The combined datasets are archived and accessible via DOIs.

Conclusions:

• The released datasets represent a significant advancement for GNSS-R research.
• These resources are vital for advancing soil moisture and vegetation monitoring techniques.
• The data will aid in preparing for upcoming GNSS-R space missions like HydroGNSS.