Detection of ocean reflected GPS signals: theory and experiment

A number of advanced applications of the Global Positioning System (GPS) have been proposed which use the signal reflected from a smooth ocean surface. The viability of these concepts hinges upon the ability to acquire and code track the reflected signal for an extended period of time over a variety of sea states. The analytical theory of specularly and diffusely reflected radio frequency radiation from a rough surface is reviewed. Experiments to demonstrate tracking of a reflected signal were performed on three aircraft flights over the Chesapeake Bay and the eastern shore of Virginia. The experimental hardware consisted of two off-the-shelf receivers configured so that one received the GPS signal in the conventional manner using a right hand circularly polarized (RHCP) antenna on top of the fuselage and the other could receive the reflected signal using a left hand circularly polarized (LHCP) antenna on the bottom of the fuselage. Three tests were performed on the data to verify that the signals received in the bottom antenna were viewed as sea surface reflections; pseudorange double differences were compared against predicted geometric range double differences; the characteristics of a signal reflected from a random surface were observed in the carrier to noise ratio; and predicted specular points were plotted which demonstrate reflection only from wet areas. These tests indicated the tracking of reflected signals for extended periods of time at altitudes of up to 5500 m and sporadic signal acquisition at higher altitudes.