Specifics of ice cover measurements using global navigation satellite system reflectometry

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11182-025-03583-0

This work focuses on the improvement of the global navigation satellite system reflectometry (GNSS-R) methods of the underlying terrestrial surfaces. An integrated approach based on a multipath GNSS‑R is applied to determine the parameters of near-surface layered structures, including ice and snow and continuous forest covers. At the same time, experimental measurements of amplitude-time dependencies of signals from navigation satellites are processed by fast Fourier transform and then analyzed using a mathematical apparatus based on the multipath reflection model within geometric optics. In combination with the GNSS‑R technique, numerical modeling of near-surface layers, is based on local meteorological data. This allows assessing not only the current state of layered near-surface structures, but also predicting their dynamics.