In this paper, we examine the role of polarimetry in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) interferometry. We first propose a general formulation for vector wave interferometry that includes conventional scalar interferometry as a special case. Then, we show how polarimetric basis transformations can be introduced into SAR interferometry and applied to form interferograms between all possible linear combinations of polarization states. This allows us to reveal the strong polarization dependency of the interferometric coherence. We then solve the coherence optimization problem involving maximization of interferometric coherence and formulate a new coherent decomposition for polarimetric SAR interferometry that allows the separation of the effective phase centers of different scattering mechanisms. A simplified stochastic scattering model for an elevated forest canopy is introduced to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms. In this way, we demonstrate the importance of wave polarization for the physical interpretation of SAR interferograms. We investigate the potential of polarimetric SAR interferometry using results from the evaluation of fully polarimetric interferometric shuttle imaging radar (SIR)-C/X-SAR data collected during October 8-9, 1994, over the SE Baikal Lake Selenga delta region of Buriatia, Southeast Siberia, Russia.

Polarimetric SAR interferometry

Detecting, Extracting, and Monitoring Surface Water From Space Using Optical Sensors: A Review

NeoGeography has been defined as a blurring of the distinctions between producer, communicator and consumer of geographic information. The relationship between professional and amateur varies across disciplines. The subject matter of geography is familiar to everyone, and the acquisition and compilation of geographic data have become vastly easier as technology has advanced. The authority of traditional mapping agencies can be attributed to their specifications, production mechanisms and programs for quality control. Very different mechanisms work to ensure the quality of data volunteered by amateurs. Academic geographers are concerned with the extraction of knowledge from geographic data using a combination of analytic tools and accumulated theory. The definition of NeoGeography implies a misunderstanding of this role of the professional, but English lacks a basis for a better term.

NeoGeography and the nature of geographicexpertise

Polarimetric SAR Interferometryによる森林の特徴について

During the August 2002 Elbe river flood, different satellite sensor data were acquired, and especially Envisat Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (ASAR) data. The ASAR instrument was activated in Alternating Polarization (AP) and Image (IM) modes, providing high resolution datasets. Thus, the comparison with a quasi‐simultaneous ERS‐2 scene enables the evaluation of the contribution of polarization configurations to flood boundary delineation. This study highlights the increased capabilities of the Envisat ASAR instrument in flood mapping, especially the benefit of combining like‐ and cross‐polarizations for rapid mapping within a crisis context.

Envisat multi‐polarized ASAR data for flood mapping

The objective of this paper is to make a review of the current status of the PolSARpro v4.0 Software (Polarimetric SAR Data Processing and Educational Toolbox), developed under contract to ESA by a consortium comprising I.E.T.R at the University of Rennes 1, AELc, DLR-HR and Dr mark Williams from Adelaide. The objective of this current project is to provide Educational Software that offers a tool for self-education in the field of Polarimetric SAR data analysis at University level and a comprehensive suite of functions for the scientific exploitation of fully and partially polarimetric multi-data sets and the development of applications for such data. The PolSARpro v4.0 Software establishes a foundation for the exploitation of Polarimetric techniques for scientific developments and stimulates research and applications developments using PolSAR and PolInSAR data.

Overview of the PolSARpro V4.0 software. the open source toolbox for polarimetric and interferometric polarimetric SAR data processing

Recent development by European Space Agency (ESA) involved the extension of the interferometric capabilities of the SentiNel Application Platform (SNAP) to enable SAR interferometric time series analysis through the Stanford Method of Persistent Scatterer (StaMPS) software package. In the current work, we demonstrate the enabled Persistent Scatterers Interferometry (PSI) processing of Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission data through SNAP-StaMPS integrated processing. A detailed overview of the processing steps involved as well as considerations and assumptions to exploit the SNAP-StaMPS synergy are presented. We intend to support the Earth Observation community by providing guidelines for Sentinel-1 TOPS data PSI processing using open source software packages. We demonstrate the SNAP functionality by processing two stacks of Sentinel-1 products over Mexico City (Mexico) and Rome (Italy).

Esa Snap - Stamps Integrated Processing for Sentinel-1 Persistent Scatterer Interferometry

Sentinel-1A has been launched from Kourou on a Soyuz rocket on 3rd April 2014. The second satellite Sentinel-1B is planned to be launched first half of 2016. The In-Orbit Commissioning phase was completed on 23 September 2014, followed by the so-called operational qualification phase (ramp-up). This ramp-up operations phase is a phase during which the capacity of the overall system, including the ground segment operations, is progressively increased, together with the gradual release of the operationally qualified products. The ramp-up phase is being completed at the time of writing this paper (end May 2015); at this stage the routine operations are starting. The Full Operation Capacity (FOC) of the mission will be reached once the In-Orbit Commissioning phase of Sentinel-1B and the subsequent constellation operational qualification phase will have been completed, indicatively by end 2016. The paper provides high-level information on the ongoing mission operations, at the time of the ramp-up phase completion. It described at high level the system operations, incl. ground segment operational activities, as well as some user data access statistics. It presents few examples of mission results achieved during the first year of Sentinel-1A in orbit, in some key application domains.

Sentinel-1 mission status

The European Space Agency has selected an advanced synthetic aperture radar operating at C-band (5.331 GHz) as a payload for the forthcoming ENVISAT mission. The sensor ensures continuity of ERS SAR and features enhanced capability in terms of coverage, range of incidence angles, polarisations and modes of operation. This paper presents the key features of the ENVISAT ASAR system. The ASAR instrument modes of operation are discussed. The ASAR Ground Processor is presented highlighting the concepts for its development and the performance achieved versus the ESA specifications. The selection of processing algorithm for each product is discussed based on the image quality requirements and the throughput.

The ENVISAT advanced synthetic aperture radar system

This contribution reports on the performance investigations of the interferometric wide swath (IW) mode of Sentinel-1, which is implemented using the terrain observation by progressive scans (TOPS) mode. The key aspects of the TOPS mode that need to be considered for accurate interferometric processing will be presented, and first analyses with Sentinel-1 time series will be shown. The results focus on the pilot sites of Campi Flegrei/Vesuvius and Mexico City, as well as Greenland glaciers. Other aspects related to the interferometric performance are also presented, like the burst synchronization, the pointing accuracy, or the considerations when evaluating non-stationary scenes.

Yves-Louis Desnos

Papers

Overview of the PolSARpro V4.0 software. the open source toolbox for polarimetric and interferometric polarimetric SAR data processing

Esa Snap - Stamps Integrated Processing for Sentinel-1 Persistent Scatterer Interferometry

Sentinel-1 mission status

The ENVISAT advanced synthetic aperture radar system

Sentinel-1 assessment of the interferometric wide-swath mode