Interference mitigation in passive microwave radiometry

Relentless development of the microwave spectrum for telecommunications and other active services enhances the risk of anthropogenic interference to the passive Earth Exploration Satellite Service (EESS). While spectral allocation remains the primary basis for avoiding interference between the passive and active services, it is also prudent to consider the use of interference mitigation technology for passive microwave remote sensing, especially for spectral regions wherein primary EESS allocation is non-negotiable. Accordingly, we consider several means of detecting and correcting for anthropogenic interference in passive microwave imagery, including spectral subbanding, polarization detection, polarimetric detection, and azimuthal detection. A spectral subband technique applicable to either narrow-band and/or window channels is demonstrated with C-band data obtained using the NOAA Polarimetric Scanning Radiometer (PSR) airborne imaging system. The technique provides very good rejection of strong interference, and is readily applicable for implementation on future airborne and spaceborne passive microwave sensors.