This book describes the application of polarimetric synthetic aperture radar to earth remote sensing based on research at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). This book synthesizes all current research to provide practical information for both the newcomer and the expert in radar polarimetry. The text offers a concise description of the mathematical fundamentals illustrated with many examples using SAR data, with a main focus on remote sensing of the earth. The book begins with basics of synthetic aperture radar to provide the basis for understanding how polarimetric SAR images are formed and gives an introduction to the fundamentals of radar polarimetry. It goes on to discuss more advanced polarimetric concepts that allow one to infer more information about the terrain being imaged. In order to analyze data quantitatively, the signals must be calibrated carefully, which the book addresses in a chapter summarizing the basic calibration algorithms. The book concludes with examples of applying polarimetric analysis to scattering from rough surfaces, to infer soil moisture from radar signals.

The author presents a comprehensive overview of the basic principles of radarpolarimetry in this volume. (Technology & Industrial Arts)

The recent launches of three fully polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (PolSAR) satellites have shown that polarimetric radar imaging can provide abundant data on the Earth’s environment, such as biomass and forest height estimation, snow cover mapping, glacier monitoring, and damage assessment. Written by two of the most recognized leaders in this field, Polarimetric Radar Imaging: From Basics to Applications presents polarimetric radar imaging and processing techniques and shows how to develop remote sensing applications using PolSAR imaging radar. The book provides a substantial and balanced introduction to the basic theory and advanced concepts of polarimetric scattering mechanisms, speckle statistics and speckle filtering, polarimetric information analysis and extraction techniques, and applications typical to radar polarimetric remote sensing. It explains the importance of wave polarization theory and the speckle phenomenon in the information retrieval problem of microwave imaging and inverse scattering. The authors demonstrate how to devise intelligent information extraction algorithms for remote sensing applications. They also describe more advanced polarimetric analysis techniques for polarimetric target decompositions, polarization orientation effects, polarimetric scattering modeling, speckle filtering, terrain and forest classification, manmade target analysis, and PolSAR interferometry. With sample PolSAR data sets and software available for download, this self-contained, hands-on book encourages you to analyze space-borne and airborne PolSAR and polarimetric interferometric SAR (Pol-InSAR) data and then develop applications using this data.

This open access book focuses on the practical application of electromagnetic polarimetry principles in Earth remote sensing with an educational purpose. In the last decade, the operations from fully polarimetric synthetic aperture radar such as the Japanese ALOS/PalSAR, the Canadian Radarsat-2 and the German TerraSAR-X and their easy data access for scientific use have developed further the research and data applications at L,C and X band. As a consequence, the wider distribution of polarimetric data sets across the remote sensing community boosted activity and development in polarimetric SAR applications, also in view of future missions. Numerous experiments with real data from spaceborne platforms are shown, with the aim of giving an up-to-date and complete treatment of the unique benefits of fully polarimetric synthetic aperture radar data in five different domains: forest, agriculture, cryosphere, urban and oceans.

Radar polarimetry has been highly sought after for its use in the precise monitoring of Earth's surface. Polarimetric SAR Imaging explains the basic concepts of polarimetry and its diverse applications including: deforestation, tree classification, landslide detection, tsunamis, volcano eruptions and ash distribution, snow accumulation, rice field monitoring, urban area exploration, ship detection, among other applications. The explanations use actual data sets taken by Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS and ALOS2). With the increasing problems presented by climate change, there is a growing need for detailed earth observation using polarimetric data. As the treatment of vector nature of radar waves is complex, there is a gap between the theory and the application. Polarimetric SAR Imaging: Theory and Applications addresses and fills this gap. Features: Provides cutting-edge polarimetric applications for earth observation with full color images. Includes detailed descriptions of theory, equations, expansions, and flowcharts, and numerous real examples. Explains concepts, data analysis, and applications in simple and clear language aimed at an intuitive comprehension. Provides specific and unique examples of PolSAR images derived from actual space and airborne systems (ALOS/ALOS2, PiSAR-x/L) Covers the wide range of the radar polarimetry, especially the decomposition of the polarimetry data, an original method developed by the author using the Japanese polarimetric SAR data Illustrated in full color using images generated by polarimetric techniques, this book is easy to understand and use for both student and expert, and is an excellent resource both in the classroom and in the field.

Explore the principles and applications of synthetic aperture radar This comprehensive guide offers a solid grounding in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) fundamentals and techniques. Written by a remote sensing and signal processing expert, Introduction to Synthetic Aperture Radar: Concepts and Practice clearly explains data collection, image formation, error correction, and image quality. You will get concise descriptions of commonly used image formation algorithms, including the Range-Doppler Algorithm (RDA) and the Polar Formatting Algorithm (PFA). Continuous wave LFM systems, interferometry, polarimetry, and moving objects are discussed in detail. Coverage includes: Origins of synthetic aperture radar Ranging and imaging Image formation and image processing tools Linear frequency-modulated chirp Image formation algorithms for quadrature demodulated data Image formation algorithms for dechirped data Autofocus Image quality and speckle reduction Linear frequency-modulated continuous wave systems Remote sensing Interferometry Moving objects in SAR

This book introduces readers to the polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (PolSAR) system, its information processing, and imaging applications. The content is divided into three main parts: Part I, on the research scope of PolSAR, addresses the underlying theory and system design, polarimetric SAR interferometry (PolInSAR), compact PolSAR, and calibration of PolSAR. Part II, which focuses on information processing, highlights the new theories and methods used in PolSAR, such as statistical properties analysis for images, speckle reduction, image enhancement, polarimetric target decomposition, and classification of PolSAR target detection. In turn, Part III, on the applications of polarimetric SAR, discusses the geophysical parameter retrieval of PolSAR data, polarimetric interferometric SAR information processing, compact polarimetric interferometric SAR information processing, and the effects of terrain tilt in azimuth direction on PolSAR data. The book provides a comprehensive and systematic guide to the system, integrating theory and practice, and has a highly application-oriented focus. Presenting new theories, methods and achievements made in polarimetric microwave imaging in recent years, it offers a valuable asset for researchers, engineers and scientists in the area of remote sensing and radar imaging. It can also be used as a reference book for university educators and graduate students.

This practical reference shows SAR system designers and remote sensing specialists how to produce higher quality SAR images using data-driven algorithms, and apply powerful new techniques to measure and analyze SAR image content.

Introduction to Microwave Remote Sensing offers an extensive overview of this versatile and extremely precise technology for technically oriented undergraduates and graduate students. This textbook emphasizes an important shift in conceptualization and directs it toward students with prior knowledge of optical remote sensing: the author dispels any linkage between microwave and optical remote sensing. Instead, he constructs the concept of microwave remote sensing by comparing it to the process of audio perception, explaining the workings of the ear as a metaphor for microwave instrumentation. This volume takes an “application-driven” approach. Instead of describing the technology and then its uses, this textbook justifies the need for measurement then explains how microwave technology addresses this need. Following a brief summary of the field and a history of the use of microwaves, the book explores the physical properties of microwaves and the polarimetric properties of electromagnetic waves. It examines the interaction of microwaves with matter, analyzes passive atmospheric and passive surface measurements, and describes the operation of altimeters and scatterometers. The textbook concludes by explaining how high resolution images are created using radars, and how techniques of interferometry can be applied to both passive and active sensors.