An Overview of the Analysis of Multi-Frequency Polarimetric SAR Data

Conference: EUSAR 2006 - 6th European Conference on Synthetic Aperture Radar
05/16/2006 - 05/18/2006 at Dresden, Germany

Proceedings: EUSAR 2006

Pages: 4Language: englishTyp: PDF

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Authors:
Zyl, Jakob J. van (Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, U.S.A)

Abstract:
We provide an overview of a number of different ways to view color overlays of multi-parameter SAR data, including polarization color overlays in different bases, as well as multi-frequency overlays. We show overlays using the canonical linear polarization basis, as well as overlays using the Pauli spin matrix basis. This last basis has been introduced because in canonical cases, it provides a simple way to interpret data in terms of scattering matrices. We also look at some of the pitfalls of interpreting the results of these decompositions. Next, we look at the concepts of the polarization signature pedestal heights and entropy and show how these parameters are related to the radar thin vegetation index. All these concepts are illustrated using data from AIRSAR acquired in Australia during the 1996 PACRIM deployment.