TERP-SAR a Processor of Radar Altimetry Level-1A Data

Processes L1A data of SAR altimetry missions including CryoSat-2, Sentinel-3A/B and Sentinel-6MF.

TERP-SAR is an adaptive processor for CryoSat-2, Sentinel-3A/B, and Sentinel-6MF L1A data, estimating range and sea-state parameters. It processes input signals and geophysical parameters, with L2 retracking using the SINC-LAB package. Known issues include biases in the backscatter coefficient, which impact wind speed estimates. Additionally, L1A data may lack certain geophysical corrections, such as solid Earth tide adjustments. TERP-SAR compensates for this by retrieving corrections from the Radar Altimeter Database System (RADS).