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Ground-based transponders provide a reliable external reference for calibrating and validating radar altimetry missions. This study consolidates more than fifteen years of calibration activities by isardSAT and partners, analysing CryoSat-2, Sentinel-3A/B and Sentinel-6 with a unified Fully Focused SAR (FF-SAR) processing chain. We find long-term stability in range, timing and point-target response (PTR) across multiple calibration sites. Complementary radiometric analyses of sigma-naught ( \(\sigma _0\) ) using transponders and corner reflectors at Leonessa, Gavdos and Montsec show agreement within mission-scale limits, further validating the external calibration framework. These results reinforce the continuity and interoperability of global radar-altimetry time series and support consistent calibration for upcoming Copernicus missions.

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Monitoring the Long-Term Performance of Radar Altimeters Using Ground-Based Transponders

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  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年

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  • Adrian Flores de la Cruz,
  • Albert García-Mondéjar,
  • Ferran Gibert,
  • Adrià Gomez Olive,
  • Martina Gallego

摘要

Ground-based transponders provide a reliable external reference for calibrating and validating radar altimetry missions. This study consolidates more than fifteen years of calibration activities by isardSAT and partners, analysing CryoSat-2, Sentinel-3A/B and Sentinel-6 with a unified Fully Focused SAR (FF-SAR) processing chain. We find long-term stability in range, timing and point-target response (PTR) across multiple calibration sites. Complementary radiometric analyses of sigma-naught ( \(\sigma _0\) ) using transponders and corner reflectors at Leonessa, Gavdos and Montsec show agreement within mission-scale limits, further validating the external calibration framework. These results reinforce the continuity and interoperability of global radar-altimetry time series and support consistent calibration for upcoming Copernicus missions.