What specific advantage does NASA’s L-band SAR, operating at a longer wavelength, offer in monitoring Earth's surface?

Answer

It is designed to penetrate dense vegetation to see underlying soil and ground structure.

NASA's contribution includes the L-band SAR instrument, which utilizes a longer wavelength. This longer wavelength grants the instrument a crucial capability: the ability to penetrate through dense surface features, such as thick forests or extensive agricultural canopies. By penetrating this overlying vegetation, the L-band radar can detect and measure changes occurring in the soil or the underlying ground structure beneath. This is vital for tracking geological phenomena like ground deformation or subsidence in heavily vegetated regions where traditional ground-based measurement methods might be obscured or impossible. This specialized penetration capability is complemented by the S-band radar's sensitivity to thinner canopy areas.

What specific advantage does NASA’s L-band SAR, operating at a longer wavelength, offer in monitoring Earth's surface?

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NASAspace explorationISROjoint mission