Definitions used in this ATBD

Definitions used in this ATBD#

Here follows a glossary, or list of definitions

Brightness Temperature#: The Brightness Temperature is the temperature of a surface as seen by a passive microwave sensor. It is a measure of the amount of energy emitted by a surface. It is usually expressed in Kelvin.
Copernicus Imaging Microwave Radiometer#: The Copernicus Imaging Microwave Radiometer is a Microwave Radiometer which launch is planned by ESA in 2029.
Equal Area Scalable Earth v2#: Equal area projection grid definition based on a Lambert Azimuthal projection and a WGS84 datum. Defined in [Brodzik et al., 2012].
Dual Channel Algorithm#: Family of algorithms that make use of dual-polarized microwave observations to retrieve two parameters (soil moisture and vegetation optical depth).
International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme#: The International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme land cover classification defines ecosystems surface classifications based on vegetation characteristics and land use.
Multi-Temporal Dual Channel Algorithm#: The Multi-Temporal Dual Channel Algorithm (MT-DCA) is an evolution of DCA that uses information from multiple SMAP overpasses to improve retrieval performance.
Soil Moisture#: Soil moisture is defined as the water held in the spaces between soil particles, and it is typically expressed as a ratio, either by volume-to-volume ratio (m³/m³) or by weight.
Soil Moisture Active Passive#: The SMAP (Soil Moisture Active Passive) mission is a NASA satellite mission launched in 2015 that uses both active and passive microwave sensors to measure soil moisture.
Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity#: The SMOS (Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity) mission, launched in 2009 by the European Space Agency, is dedicated to making global observations of soil moisture over land and salinity over oceans using a passive microwave sensor.
Vegetation Optical Depth#: Vegetation optical depth (VOD) is a parameter that characterizes the attenuation of microwave radiation propagating through the vegetation canopy. It is related to the vegetation water content, biomass, and vegetation water status.
Vegetation Water Content#: Vegetation water content (VWC) is defined as the total aboveground plant water per unit area. It is a common parameter to describe vegetation cover as seen by microwave sensors.