Analysis of GNSS-R Delay-Doppler Maps from the UK-DMC satellite over the ocean

A study of the retrieval of sea surface roughness using Global Navigation Satellite System-Reflectometry (GNSS-R) from satellite is presented. Delay- Doppler Maps (DDMs) from the SSTL UK-DMC satellite are analyzed to retrieve directional Mean Square Slopes (MSSs). Results are compared to theoretically-derived MSSs and in situ measurements from co-located buoys of the National Data Buoy Center (NDBC), showing good agreement in most cases. Here, the whole DDM, a more complete source of information, is exploited for the first time using satellite GNSS-R data. These are potentially able to provide high spatial and temporal sampling, and therefore offer an improved way to observe wind and waves by means of a very modest instrument.