The interaction between calibration and Faraday rotation estimates from SAR

Abstract:
A first order analysis of the errors in the estimates of the HV backscattering coefficient, sigmahv, and Faraday rotation, Ω, in the presence of imperfectly corrected system distortion and noise is presented. The associated differentiable expressions are used to estimate the largest possible errors in sigmahv and Ω and the conditions under which they occur. The predictions of the analysis are confirmed by exact numerical simulations. Conditions on cross-talk and channel imbalance in order to keep worst percentage errors in biomass estimates below given thresholds under a power law relation between hvsigma and biomass are also derived.