Radio occultation

Radio occultation (RO) is a remote sensing technique used for measuring the physical properties of a planetary atmosphere or ring system.

Satellites carrying onboard GNSS-Radio occultation instruments include CHAMP, GRACE and GRACE-FO, MetOp and the recently launched COSMIC-2.

The effect is most pronounced when the radiation traverses a long atmospheric limb path.

[4] GNSS radio occultation amounts to an almost instantaneous depiction of the atmospheric state.

Alexander, P., A. de la Torre, and P. Llamedo (2008), Interpretation of gravity wave signatures in GPS radio occultations, J. Geophys.

Radio occultation analysis of signal delay by the tandem FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC used as atmospheric sounding .
Illustration of radio occultation