Overcoming the Current Limitations of GNSS-R Observation of Wetlands and Surface Water

Recent results from CYGNSS have highlighted the importance of coherent GNSS reflections for measuring and mapping surface water. However, the GNSS-R instrument aboard CYGNSS was intended for measuring diffuse scattering from the ocean, and the way in which it processes measurements is not optimal for coherent reflections. The goal of this work is to review recent investigations into how on-board algorithms in future instruments can take full advantage of coherent GNSS-R measurements, especially with how they apply to observation of inland water. It is understood that the proper utilization of coherent reflections will open the door to a number of new and interesting science applications for GNSS-R. Several algorithms are proposed.