Using signals of navigation satellites in the monitoring of the earth covers

The features and capabilities of remote sensing of earth covers by means of signals of navigation satellites are pre- sented. The methods of reflectometry of the surfaces of earth covers and radioscopy of forest canopy are described. The options for using the signals of GLONASS, GPS systems are considered. Test measurements of interference diagrams were carried out on 5 test platforms from heterogeneous soil surfaces: salt marshes and asphalt; water surfaces of sa- line and freshwater bodies in summer, including ice cover of small thickness in the period of autumn freeze-up. The method of radioscopy helped obtain the data on the spatial and temporal characteristics of attenuated signals of the GLONASS and GPS satellites in the pine forest. Estimates of the linear attenuation coefficients of the signals passing through a forest canopy with a coordinate reference were made. The results obtained are the basis for the development of methods and technologies for continuous monitoring of the characteristics and state of earth covers by means of sig- nals of navigation satellites for solving a wide range of applied tasks.