E-GEM · European GNSS-R Environmental Monitoring

The E-GEM project proposes to evolve the current status of GNSS Reflectometry (GNSS-R) methods for the purpose of Earth monitoring, paving the way for operational applications in the domains of ocean altimetry and scaterometry (mainly wave height and surface winds, but also soil moisture, and biomass, monitoring of ice layers). The approach of the E-GEM project is to bring together lead experts in GNSS-R technologies and experienced teams in Earth Observation domains, in order to address the data needs and requirements of GMES services and other Earth monitoring initiatives, and how can GNSS-R methods best respond to the identified challenges in these domains. A strong connection with the users basis as well as with institutional, public and private stakeholders interested in the development and usage of the technology, will also steer the project’s efforts, and increase the awareness of this promising technology. Within the E-GEM project, three experimental platforms will be developed for GNSS-R data acquisition: a space-borne, an airborne and a ground instrument will acquire large amounts of data to support the development of algorithms. This data, together with the large effort put on the development and validation of algorithms and processing chains, will aim at obtaining high-resolution products for altimetry, wave height and surface winds. The expected improvements should largely result from the usage of the GPS P code (with the space- and airborne acquired signal), and Galileo’s AltBOC signals. For these purposes, the E-GEM project will rely strongly on the achievements of the GNSS-R community so far - in which European teams have historically had a leading role so far - and will bring together the individual efforts and other on-going projects into a joint working platform dedicated to the development and integration of GNSS-R technologies into GMES operational services.