Lecture Slide 8

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What is the primary function of a microwave altimeter?

To compute an object's height above a stable point (correct)

To measure the speed of wind

To detect sea ice and land contamination

To measure the depth of the sea surface

What is the term associated with the computation of depth beneath the sea surface?

Scatterometry

Altimetry

Radiometry

Bathymetry (correct)

What type of systems are more affected by rain, especially in Ku-band systems?

Microwave scatterometers (correct)

Microwave radiometers

Microwave sensors

Microwave altimeters

What is the name of the device that computes an object's height above a stable point?

Altitude meter Signup and view all the answers

What is the principle of operation of microwave altimeters?

They transmit short microwave pulses and measure the round trip time delay Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of microwave scatterometers?

To achieve high accuracy measurements of wind vectors Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary factor that affects the intensity of backscattered energy in scatterometry?

Roughness and dielectric properties of the target Signup and view all the answers

What is the typical resolution of wind maps produced by scatterometers?

25-50 km Signup and view all the answers

What is the advantage of using microwave scatterometers in terms of weather conditions?

They are available irrespective of weather conditions Signup and view all the answers

What is the relationship between wind stress and the size of surface ripples on the ocean?

Wind stress depends on the size of surface ripples Signup and view all the answers

What type of technique did the ERS and NSCAT instruments employ for wind retrieval?

Fanbeam Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary application of scatterometer data in weather forecasting?

Cyclonic feature prediction Signup and view all the answers

What is the approximate daily coverage of global oceans by a single scatterometer instrument?

90% Signup and view all the answers

What is an emerging application of scatterometer data beyond ocean winds?

Soil moisture measurement Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following scatterometers is onboard the Metop satellite?

ASCAT Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary application of the dependence on the incidence angle in microwave scatterometry?

Deriving wind speed Signup and view all the answers

What is the main difference between fan beam scatterometers and rotating pencil beam scatterometers?

Beam shape and scanning method Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following situations can compromise the quality of scatterometer winds?

Sea ice and land contamination Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary advantage of microwave scatterometers over other wind measurement techniques?

Global coverage Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following instruments is an example of a fan beam scatterometer?