Calibrating seawinds and QuikSCAT scatterometers using natural land targets

The SeaWinds-on-QuikSCAT (QuikSCAT) and SeaWinds-on-ADEOS-2 (SeaWinds) scatterometers measure the normalized radar backscatter (sigma degrees) of the earth's surface. These identical radar sensors are on different spaceborne platforms in similar orbits. QuikSCAT and SeaWinds data are used to infer near-surface wind vectors, polar sea-ice extent, polar-ice melt events, etc. In order to verify the relative calibration of these sensors, a simple cross calibration based on land backscatter measurements is performed. A first-order polynomial model is used to remove the incidence angle dependence of sigma degrees for selected regions of the Amazon rainforest and the Sahara Desert. It is shown that the two sensors are well-calibrated to each other and require no bias corrections. Additionally, evidence of a diurnal cycle in the Amazon rainforest backscatter is given.