Ocean altimetry using wideband signals of opportunity

Coastal altimetry plays a prominent role in measuring the total water-level envelope directly, and is one of the key measurements required by storm surge applications and services. It can also provide important information about the wave field, leading to development of more realistic wave models and therefore improving forecasts of wave setup and overtopping processes. Satellite altimeters have a long history of mapping the variability of the Earth's open ocean. However, this is not the case for coastal areas because of the limitations of technology and difficulties in processing and interpretation of data near coastal surface (due land contamination and rapid variations due to tides and atmospheric effects). There is, therefore, a need for more accurate Sea Surface Height (SSH) near coastal areas. Bistatic altimetry using signals of opportunity (SoOp) (e.g. digital communication signals) may provide additional measurements in coastal areas through oblique incidence angles and high bandwidth (400 MHz). In this study, we investigate the capabilities of SoOp technique for coastal altimetry from spaceborne platforms.