@misc{Gallardo:2026:10.5194/epsc2026-691,
author = {Gallardo, i Peres G and Mason, P and Ghail, R and Wilson, C and Straume-Lindner, AG and Granados, A and Roca, i Aparici M},
doi = {10.5194/epsc2026-691},
title = {Radar Scattering of Venus Terrains: Characterising Surface Roughness in Preparation for the Decade of Venus},
type = {Other},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/epsc2026-691},
year = {2026}
}

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TY  - GEN
AB  - <jats:p>The Magellan radar space mission [1] produced the largest, highest-resolution, most accurate survey of the surface of Venus to date. During the first cycle of the mission, its unique latitude-varying radar observation geometry allowed for the revisit of morphologically-equivalent terrains with a wide array of incidence angles, both in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) mode and in altimetry mode [2,3,4,5]. With the appropriate constraints and processing steps, this enables the reconstruction of the full scattering behaviour (a scattering curve) of distinct rock units [6] across approx. 0-50 degrees of local incidence, offering a unique opportunity to measure the mean radiometric signature of different terrain formations on Venus and, for the first time, map and characterise wavelength-scale surface roughness across the entire planet. Additionally, the derived scattering curves represent the reference scenarios that will enable radiometric comparison of Magellan SAR images with SAR data from upcoming Venus orbiters, even if the acquisition geometry between sensors for a specific target differs significantly [7,8].To perform this study, we have built a comprehensive method that blends SAR and altimetry backscatter, postprocessed Magellan topography, Magellan radiometry, and geological data from Venus; the method incorporates a physically-constrained stochastic model of uncertainty for each individual backscatter measurement, and provides the framework for scattering models and constraints to appropriately fit the data. Our scattering curve results have been extensively tested against different cycle 1 and cycle 2 SAR and altimetry data to investigate the heterogeneity and/or isotropy of the measured surfaces, and to internally validate the radiometric consistency (absolute and relative) of the observed backscatter estimates.In this work, we present insights into our findings regarding surface roughness properties for each terrain formation. We discuss the ge
AU  - Gallardo,i Peres G
AU  - Mason,P
AU  - Ghail,R
AU  - Wilson,C
AU  - Straume-Lindner,AG
AU  - Granados,A
AU  - Roca,i Aparici M
DO  - 10.5194/epsc2026-691
PY  - 2026///
TI  - Radar Scattering of Venus Terrains: Characterising Surface Roughness in Preparation for the Decade of Venus
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/epsc2026-691
UR  - https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc2026-691
ER  - 

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