Current Measurements in Coastal Waters and Rivers by TerraSAR-X Along-Track InSAR

As discussed by several authors during the last 20 years, the along-track interferometric synthetic aperture radar (along-track InSAR) is a promising instrument for direct high- resolution surface current measurements from air- or spaceborne platforms. After theoretical studies, airborne InSAR experiments, and a demonstration of current measurements from space with data from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission, the new German satellite TerraSAR-X will be the first to offer along-track InSAR capabilities during a period of several years. We summarize results of two recent studies on current measuring capabilities of TerraSAR-X in coastal waters and rivers.