Processing very high resolution satellite radar altimetry data using conventional algorithms takes several hours and even days, requiring multiple operations.
After developing a FF-SAR closed-form algorithm based on omega-K that substantially cuts down the execution time of Sentinel-6 radar altimetry data processing, we have designed an accelerated version of the the FFSAR back-projection algorithm that reduces the runtime of the classic algorithm.
Thanks to the accelerations of the algorithm and the implementation on a GPU-based architecture, this algorithm reduces up to 1,570 times the runtime of the classic algorithm running on a CPU.
Retrieving Earth’s geophysical parameters with Sentinel-6 data
The recent advances in signal processing algorithms have opened the door to new applications for altimetry data, such as the obtained by Sentinel-6 satellites.
Possibilities include iceberg detection, sea and land ice classification, ocean swell parameter estimation, the retrieval of key climate variables such as inland water level and extent, or coastal monitoring.
