Characteristics of the L-Band Radio Frequency Interference Environment Based on SMAP Radiometer Observations

The performance of radio frequency interference (RFI) detection and mitigation algorithms depends on the properties of the RFI signals against which they are used. This letter presents the bandwidth, duration, and center frequency of the RFI signals that the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) radiometer has observed in the course of one week (June 3–9, 2018) over the entire world. It has been shown that L-band RFI is a significant problem on a global scale, and SMAP multidomain RFI detection approach supported by its digital backend is well justified as the bandwidth and duration characteristics of the RFI environment may vary significantly.