Introducing Partial Polarimetric Layers into a Curvelet-based Change Detection

Conference: EUSAR 2010 - 8th European Conference on Synthetic Aperture Radar
06/07/2010 - 06/10/2010 at Aachen, Germany

Proceedings: EUSAR 2010

Pages: 4Language: englishTyp: PDF

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Authors:
Schmitt, Andreas; Wessel, Birgit (German Aerospace Center (DLR), German Remote Sensing Data Center, Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany)

Abstract:
In this article a new change detection approach for polarimetric SAR data is presented. The further development of an already published change detection approach based on Curvelet transform for single polarized SAR images is combined with partial polarimetric layers of a reduced Huynen decomposition. The data used has been acquired by TerraSAR-X in the High Resolution Spotlight mode with two polarization channels: HH and VV (dualpol). The motivation for using polarimetric information is that it helps to interpret changes indicated by the change detection algorithm, so that plant growth or crop on agricultural land as well as water level variations in rivers or even small scale changes in industrial plants like harbors get clearly visible. The Curvelet-based change detection turns again out to be a powerful tool for SAR image handling - image enhancement and change detection - whereas the polarimetric information about the underlying scattering mechanisms delivers astonishing results.