Theoretical and experimental analyses of laser altimeters for barometric measurements over the ocean
Abstract
The optical path length from a satellite to the Earth's surface is strongly dependent on the atmospheric pressure along the propagation path. Surface pressure can be determined by measuring the difference between the round-trip propagation times of laser pulses that are transmitted simultaneously at two wavelengths. Although pressure measurements can be made over the ground and water, the application of this technique to pressure measurements over the ocean is considered. The statistical characteristics and the waveforms of the ocean reflected laser pulses are studied. The statistics of time-resolved speckle and its effects on the timing accuracy of the receiver are studied in the general context of laser altimetry. The data obtained from the first airborne two-color laser altimeter experiment are processed and analyzed. The results are used to verify the pressure measurement concept.
- Publication:
-
Ph.D. Thesis
- Pub Date:
- 1984
- Bibcode:
- 1984PhDT........20T
- Keywords:
-
- Altimeters;
- Atmospheric Pressure;
- Laser Applications;
- Oceans;
- Waveforms;
- Algorithms;
- Pressure Measurement;
- Pulse Duration;
- Temporal Resolution;
- Wave Propagation;
- Lasers and Masers