Atmospheric
Microwave radars are used primarily to study precipitation and associated winds. Our applications are primarily at X-band, where the short wavelength permits the use of modest-sized antennas. At lower microwave and UHF frequencies, it is possible to see clear-air scattering from turbulent fluctuations of the refractive index.
Oceanographic
Oceanographic radar applications include the measurement of ocean waves, currents, and the normalized radar cross section (NRCS) of the ocean surface. The latter of these is often used to estimate wind speed and direction over the ocean. Radiometers are also used to estimate ocean surface winds (primarily wind speed) through the measurement of the Brightness Temperature.
Terrestrial
Terrestrial applications are largely focused on estimation of ice and snowpack and on estimation of carbon. The Snow Water-equivalent Wide Swath Interferometer and Scatterometer (SNOWWI) is an airborne SAR, while the Topographic Ice Mapping Mission (TIMMi) prototype is ground-based.