Resolution and precision of a delay-Doppler radar altimeter

A conventional radar altimeter incoherently averages successive radar returns to form measurement waveforms. In contrast, a delay-Doppler radar altimeter combines coherent processing and incoherent averaging. This near-optimum approach leads to significantly improved measurement precision and footprint resolution than are possible from a conventional incoherent altimeter. These factors enable a new standard for oceanic altimeter applications, especially marine geodesy.