1. Art and Diseño

First Announcement 2015 Workshop on Reflectometry
using GNSS and other Signals of Opportunity
(GNSS+R 2015)
May 11 – 13, 2015
GFZ Potsdam, Germany
supported by
ESA, GFZ, IAG, and Zeppelin NT
Development of GNSS-R (Global Navigation Satellite Systems Reflectometry) remote
sensing techniques for ground, airborne and space-based observation platforms started
about two decades ago for altimetry. It is now the focus of international and
interdisciplinary geophysical and engineering research with a broad spectrum of
possible Earth observation applications. Reflectometry methods exploit propagation
effects of GNSS signals or other signals of opportunity, multipath and surface/volume
scattering to retrieve atmospheric and surface properties on regional and global scales.
GNSS-R remote sensing exhibits unique characteristics to complement existing active
and passive Earth Observation Systems. A major advantage is the use of an existing
and fully operational GNSS positioning infrastructure, which consists of large receiver
networks and other observation platforms, and also will include more than one hundred
transmitting GNSS satellites in the near future. This infrastructure assures the continuity
of the signals and also provides the foundation for potential operational applications in
Earth Observation.
Electromagnetic models for L-Band GNSS signals, reflected from water, ice, and land
surfaces have been used to retrieve a variety of data products including ocean surface
winds, sea surface height, soil moisture, ice properties, and vegetation biomass from
ground, airborne and satellite platforms.
The development of GNSS-R has been stimulated in recent years by a few satellite
missions in preparation, all focused on ocean remote sensing on a nearly global scale. A
GNSS-R experiment will be conducted on the UK TechDemoSat-1, starting in 2014 and
3Cat-2, a cubesat mission, scheduled for launch in 2015. NASA plans to launch the
eight satellite CYGNSS (CYclone GNSS) constellation in 2016. ESA has funded
activities related to the PARIS In-Orbit Demonstrator (PARIS-IOD) and recently initiated
international industrial and scientific studies to install a GNSS-R experiment aboard the
International Space Station (GEROS-ISS, GNSS rEflectometry Radio Occultation and
Scatterometry aboard ISS) with planned launch in 2019.
Following this early success in the re-utilization of ubiquitous, stable GNSS signals,
recent experiments have further demonstrated reflectometry using digital communication
satellite signals, expanding these methods to the full range of microwave frequencies
capable of penetrating the Earth’s atmosphere.
The development of reflectometry with GNSS and other signals of opportunity
(GNSS+R) in many ways parallels the prior development of the GNSS radio occultation
(GNSS-RO) technique for precise atmosphere sounding on a global scale. GNSS-RO
has been contributing to improved global numerical weather forecasts since 2006. In
addition the data are currently widely used for numerous applications in atmospheric and
climate research with a continuously increasing number of applicants.
The goal of this workshop is to bring together the leading experts and young researcher
working in the science and engineering of reflectometry, or related fields, with scientists
interested in their applications to stimulate international scientific exchanges and to
further support the development of this emerging technology as a powerful remote
sensing tool. Therefore we invite contributions that focus on all aspects of the
development as well as the broad spectrum of applications of GNSS+R techniques.
The GNSS reflectometry workshop (GNSS+R 2015) will be held at the German
Research Centre for Geosciences GFZ in Potsdam during May 11–13, 2015. GFZ is one
of the leading geoscience institutions with history spanning 150 years. GFZ scientists
helped pioneer the application of GNSS RO techniques and are currently significantly
contributing to the development of GNSS reflectometry.
GNSS+R 2015 Workshop Topics:
 Science applications on ocean, land, vegetation, cryosphere, and atmosphere
 Theoretical aspects, model development and recent advances in data analysis
 Instruments and integration with data of other sources
 Ground and flight experiments
 New and recent satellite mission concepts
Details of the scientific program and logistics can be found on the conference web-site:
www.gnssr2015.org.
Deadline for abstract submission is January 30th 2015.
Scientific organizing committee
Jens Wickert
GFZ, Potsdam, Germany
Adriano Camps
UPC-Barcelona Tech/IEEC, Barcelona, Spain
Estel Cardellach
ICE-CSIC/IEEC, Barcelona, Spain
James L. Garrison
Purdue University, U.S.
Christine Gommenginger
NOC, Southampton, UK
Shuanggen Jin
SHAO, Shanghai, China
Kristine M. Larson
University of Colorado, Boulder, U.S.
Manuel Martin Neira
ESA, Noordwijk, Netherlands
Nazzareno Pierdicca
Università di Roma La Sapienza, Italy
Martin Unwin
SSTL, UK
Valery Zavorotny
NOAA/ESRL, Boulder, CO, U.S.
Cinzia Zuffada
JPL/Caltech, Pasadena, U.S.
Local organizing committee at GFZ
Jens Wickert
Sibylle Vey
Jamila Beckheinrich
Georg Beyerle
Katrin Gundrum
Maximilian Semmling
Kirstin Winkler