Wind Direction Estimation by Deconvolution of GNSS Delay–Doppler Maps: A Simulation Analysis

Signatures of directional wind waves are discovered after deconvolution of delay-Doppler maps in Global Navigation Satellite System reflectometry from space. The simulation study and the proposed algorithm demonstrate that wind direction can be, in principle, retrieved in the presence of thermal noise and speckle. The method is based on a least squares approach where an overdetermined system of equations is solved with respect to wind direction assuming that sea surface mean square slopes have been previously estimated. Performance is assessed on simulated data, where the system geometry is defined according to a realistic ocean scattering scenario. The algorithm accuracy is investigated with respect to different sizes of the observable and with respect to speckle and thermal noise.