Sea surface salinity retrieval using multi-angular L-band radiometry: numerical study using the SMOS End-to-end Performance Simulator

In May 1999 the European Space Agency (ESA) selected the SMOS Earth Explorer Opportunity mission to provide global soil moisture and sea surface salinity (SSS) maps using the MIRAS L-band aperture synthesis interferometric radiometer. The sea salinity signature is very small and sea surface temperature (SST) and mainly wind speed (WS) effects must be accurately modelled. In order to achieve the required accuracy (0.1 psu), measurements must be averaged in time (10-30 days) and space (100 km). However, the geophysical parameters SSS, SST and WS change in time and space and the improvement factor by averaging remains open. We use the SMOS End-to-end Performance Simulator (SEPS) developed by EADS-CASA, GMV and UPC to simulate the SSS retrieval performance.