Calibration Techniques for the RADARSAT-2 SAR System

Inhalt:
The RADARSAT-2 SAR instrument includes an active array antenna capable of operating in single-, dual- and quad-pol modes. This paper will describe the methods that have been developed to perform the radiometric and polarimetric calibration of the RADARSAT-2 data and to characterise the rows, columns and individual T/R modules of the antenna in orbit. All these calibration techniques include forms of external calibration operation. Imaging of the Amazon rain forest is used to support the radiometric and polarimetric calibration. The antenna calibration is based on a novel technique using signal reflections from the earth surface.