Remote Sensing of the Terrestrial Water Cycle with the Cyclone Global
Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS)
Abstract
The CYGNSS constellation of eight satellites was successfully launched
in December 2016 into a low inclination (tropical) Earth orbit. Each
satellite carries a four-channel bistatic radar receiver which measures
signals transmitted by Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites and
scattered back into space by the Earth surface. Over the ocean, surface
roughness, near-surface wind speed and air-sea latent heat flux are
estimated from the surface scattering cross section. Over the land,
estimates of near-surface soil moisture and imaging of inland water
bodies and flood inundation are derived from the surface reflectivity.
The measurements are able to penetrate through all levels of
precipitation and through most vegetation canopies due to the long radio
wavelength at which GPS operates. The number of satellites in the
constellation and their continuous data-taking operation produces high
spatial sampling density and low temporal revisit times. Over ocean,
this makes possible the reliable detection of tropical cyclone
intensification and the resolution of diurnal cycles in tropical winds.
Over land, diurnal soil moisture variability is resolved and rapidly
changing flood inundation events are mapped. Engineering commissioning
of the constellation was completed in March 2017 and the mission is
currently in its science operations phase. Science data products are
regularly produced over ocean for wind speed, surface roughness, and
sensible and latent heat fluxes and over land for near surface
volumetric soil moisture. Data products currently in development over
ocean include tropical cyclone intensity (peak sustained winds) size
(radius of maximum winds), extent (34, 50 and 64 knot wind radii), storm
center location, and integrated kinetic energy. Over land, data products
in development include refined versions of volumetric soil moisture
content, flood inundation extent, time-varying inland water body maps,
and riverine streamflow rate. An overview and the current status of the
CYGNSS mission will be presented, together with updates on terrestrial
science data products in development that are related to the terrestrial
water cycle.