Forest aboveground biomass estimation in Zhejiang Province using the integration of Landsat TM and ALOS PALSAR data

In remote sensing–based forest aboveground biomass (AGB) estimation research, data saturation in Landsat and radar data is well known, but how to reduce this problem for improving AGB estimation has not been fully examined. Different vegetation types have their own species composition and stand structure, thus they have different data saturation values in Landsat or radar data. Optical and radar data also have different characteristics in representing forest stand structures, thus effective use of their features may improve AGB estimation. This research examines the effects of Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) and ALOS PALSAR L-band data and their integrations in forest AGB estimation of Zhejiang Province, China, and the roles of textural images from both datasets. The linear regression models of AGB were conducted by using (1) Landsat TM alone, (2) ALOS PALSAR data alone, (3) their combination as extra bands, and (4) their data fusion, based on non-stratification and stratification of vegetation types, respectively. The results show that (1) overall, Landsat TM data perform better than PALSAR data, but the latter can produce more accurate estimates for bamboo and shrub, and for forests with AGB values less than 60 Mg/ha; (2) the combination of TM and PALSAR data as extra bands can greatly improve AGB estimation performance, but their fusion using the modified high-pass filter resolution-merging technique cannot; (3) textures are indeed valuable in AGB estimation, especially for forests with complex stand structures such as mixed forests and pine forests with understories of broadleaf species; (4) stratification of vegetation types can improve AGB estimation performance; and (5) the results from the linear regression models are characterized by overestimation and underestimation for the smaller and larger AGB values, respectively, and thus, selecting non-linear models or non-parametric algorithms may be needed in future research.     

Retrieval of tropical forest biomass information from ALOS PALSAR data

Advanced Land Observing Satellite Phased Array L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (ALOS PALSAR) data from different observation modes were analysed to determine (1) which observation mode most accurately retrieves tropical forest biomass information and (2) whether different modes, when considered together, yield improved results in comparison to identical data-sets analysed independently. We performed regression analysis to estimate above-ground forest biomass using PALSAR backscatter data for natural and planted forests in south-eastern Bangladesh. The coefficient of determination (r ²) was lower or equal to 0.499 (n = 70) when PALSAR data from different observation modes were separately considered, but increased sharply when one class (rubber) is dropped and average backscatter of fine beam single (FBS) and polrimetric (PLR) modes are used in the analysis. The results presented in this article are useful for both regional and global forest biomass inventories and fixing acquisition modes for planned L-band SAR missions.     

Impact of data model and point density on aboveground forest biomass estimation from airborne LiDAR

Background

Accurate estimation of aboveground forest biomass (AGB) and its dynamics is of paramount importance in understanding the role of forest in the carbon cycle and the effective implementation of climate change mitigation policies. LiDAR is currently the most accurate technology for AGB estimation. LiDAR metrics can be derived from the 3D point cloud (echo-based) or from the canopy height model (CHM). Different sensors and survey configurations can affect the metrics derived from the LiDAR data. We evaluate the ability of the metrics derived from the echo-based and CHM data models to estimate AGB in three different biomes, as well as the impact of point density on the metrics derived from them.

Results

Our results show that differences among metrics derived at different point densities were significantly different from zero, with a larger impact on CHM-based than echo-based metrics, particularly when the point density was reduced to 1 point m^?2. Both data models-echo-based and CHM-performed similarly well in estimating AGB at the three study sites. For the temperate forest in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, California, USA, R² ranged from 0.79 to 0.8 and RMSE (relRMSE) from 69.69 (35.59%) to 70.71 (36.12%) Mg ha^?1 for the echo-based model and from 0.76 to 0.78 and 73.84 (37.72%) to 128.20 (65.49%) Mg ha^?1 for the CHM-based model. For the moist tropical forest on Barro Colorado Island, Panama, the models gave R² ranging between 0.70 and 0.71 and RMSE between 30.08 (12.36%) and 30.32 (12.46) Mg ha^?1 [between 0.69–0.70 and 30.42 (12.50%) and 61.30 (25.19%) Mg ha^?1] for the echo-based [CHM-based] models. Finally, for the Atlantic forest in the Sierra do Mar, Brazil, R² was between 0.58–0.69 and RMSE between 37.73 (8.67%) and 39.77 (9.14%) Mg ha^?1 for the echo-based model, whereas for the CHM R² was between 0.37–0.45 and RMSE between 45.43 (10.44%) and 67.23 (15.45%) Mg ha^?1.

Conclusions

Metrics derived from the CHM show a higher dependence on point density than metrics derived from the echo-based data model. Despite the median of the differences between metrics derived at different point densities differing significantly from zero, the mean change was close to zero and smaller than the standard deviation except for very low point densities (1 point m^?2). The application of calibrated models to estimate AGB on metrics derived from thinned datasets resulted in less than 5% error when metrics were derived from the echo-based model. For CHM-based metrics, the same level of error was obtained for point densities higher than 5 points m^?2. The fact that reducing point density does not introduce significant errors in AGB estimates is important for biomass monitoring and for an effective implementation of climate change mitigation policies such as REDD + due to its implications for the costs of data acquisition. Both data models showed similar capability to estimate AGB when point density was greater than or equal to 5 point m^?2.

     

Water-Body types identification in urban areas from radarsat-2 fully polarimetric SAR data

This paper presents a novel method for supervised water-body extraction and water-body types identification from Radarsat-2 fully polarimetric (FP) synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data in complex urban areas. First, supervised water-body extraction using the Wishart classifier is performed, and the false alarms that are formed in built-up areas are removed using morphological processing methods and spatial contextual information. Then, the support vector machine (SVM), the classification and regression tree (CART), TreeBagger (TB), and random forest (RF) classifiers are introduced for water-body types (rivers, lakes, ponds) identification. In SAR images, certain other objects that are misclassified as water are also considered in water-body types identification. Several shape and polarimetric features of each candidate water-body are used for identification. Radarsat-2 PolSAR data that were acquired over Suzhou city and Dongguan city in China are used to validate the effectiveness of the proposed method, and the experimental results are evaluated at both the object and pixel levels. We compared the water-body types classification results using only shape features and the combination of shape and polarimetric features, the experimental results show that the polarimetric features can eliminate the misclassifications from certain other objects like roads to water areas, and the increasement of classification accuracy embodies at both the object and pixel levels. The experimental results show that the proposed methods can achieve satisfactory accuracies at the object level [89.4% (Suzhou), 95.53% (Dongguan)] and the pixel level [96.22% (Suzhou), 97.95% (Dongguan)] for water-body types classification, respectively.     

Characterization of forests and deforestation in Cambodia using ALOS/PALSAR observation

In this study, we have demonstrated the capability of full polarimetric ALOS/Phased Array L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar data for the characterization of the forests and deforestation in Cambodia, to support climate change mitigation policies of Reducing Emission from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD). We have observed mean backscattering coefficient (σ°), entropy (H), alpha angle (α), anisotropy (A), pedestal height (PH), Radar Vegetation Index (RVI) and Freeman–Durden three-component decomposition parameters. The observations show that the forest types and deforested area are showing variable polarimetric and backscattering properties because of the structural difference. Evergreen forest is characterized by a high value of σ° HV (?12.96 dB) as compared with the deforested area (σ° HV=?22.2 dB). The value of polarimetric parameters such as entropy (0.93), RVI (0.91), PH (0.41) and Freeman–Durden volume scattering (0.43) is high for evergreen forest, whereas deforested area is characterized by the low values of entropy (0.36) and RVI (0.17). Based on these parameters, it is found that σ° HV, entropy, RVI and PH provide best results among other parameters.     

Landslide Mapping and Assessment by Integrating Landsat-8, PALSAR-2 and GIS Techniques: A Case Study from Kelantan State,Peninsular Malaysia

Integration of satellite remote sensing data and GIS techniques is an applicable approach for landslide mapping and assessment in highly vegetated regions with a tropical climate. In recent years, there have been many severe flooding and landslide events with significant damage to livestock, agricultural crop, homes, and businesses in the Kelantan river basin, Peninsular Malaysia. In this investigation, Landsat-8 and phased array type L-band synthetic aperture radar-2 (PALSAR-2) datasets and analytical hierarchy process (AHP) approach were used to map landslide in Kelantan river basin, Peninsular Malaysia. Landslides were determined by tracking changes in vegetation pixel data using Landsat-8 images that acquired before and after flooding. The PALSAR-2 data were used for comprehensive analysis of major geological structures and detailed characterizations of lineaments in the state of Kelantan. AHP approach was used for landslide susceptibility mapping. Several factors such as slope, aspect, soil, lithology, normalized difference vegetation index, land cover, distance to drainage, precipitation, distance to fault, and distance to the road were extracted from remotely sensed data and fieldwork to apply AHP approach. The excessive rainfall during the flood episode is a paramount factor for numerous landslide occurrences at various magnitudes, therefore, rainfall analysis was carried out based on daily precipitation before and during flood episode in the Kelantan state. The main triggering factors for landslides are mainly due to the extreme precipitation rate during the flooding period, apart from the favorable environmental factors such as removal of vegetation within slope areas, and also landscape development near slopes. Two main outputs of this study were landslide inventory occurrences map during 2014 flooding episode and landslide susceptibility map for entire Kelantan state. Modeled/predicted landslides with a susceptible map generated prior and post-flood episode, confirmed that intense rainfall throughout Kelantan has contributed to produce numerous landslides with various sizes. It is concluded that precipitation is the most influential factor for landslide event. According to the landslide susceptibility map, 65% of the river basin of Kelantan is found to be under the category of low landslide susceptibility zone, while 35% class in a high-altitude segment of the south and south-western part of the Kelantan state located within high susceptibility zone. Further actions and caution need to be remarked by the local related authority of the Kelantan state in very high susceptibility zone to avoid further wealth and people loss in the future. Geo-hazard mitigation programs must be conducted in the landslide recurrence regions for reducing natural catastrophes leading to loss of financial investments and death in the Kelantan river basin. This investigation indicates that integration of Landsat-8 and PALSAR-2 remotely sensed data and GIS techniques is an applicable tool for Landslide mapping and assessment in tropical environments.     

GLAS星载激光雷达和Landsat/ETM+数据的森林生物量估算

基于大脚印激光雷达数据和野外观测数据,该文提出一种获取脚印点内森林生物量的新思路,并结合陆地卫星数据应用于长白山地区森林地上生物量估算。首先,基于3种森林类型(针叶林、阔叶林和针阔混交林),采用多元逐步回归方法建立激光雷达波形指数与脚印点内实测平均树高的回归模型,估算全部脚印点内的平均树高;然后根据脚印点内样方的野外观测数据(平均树高和平均胸径)以及它们与样方生物量的拟合方程估算没有野外调查数据对应的脚印点的生物量;最后对3种森林类型的脚印点森林生物量在各森林覆盖度条件下进行分层分区统计得到生物量等级图。验证比较遥感估算的生物量与野外调查数据推算的生物量,总体误差在0~30(t·hm~(-2))之间,均方根误差为14.66(t·hm~(-2))。     

Estimation of aboveground biomass and carbon in a tropical rain forest in Gabon using remote sensing and GPS data

The knowledge of biomass stocks in tropical forests is critical for climate change and ecosystem services studies. This research was conducted in a tropical rain forest located near the city of Libreville (the capital of Gabon), in the Akanda Peninsula. The forest cover was stratified in terms of mature, secondary and mangrove forests using Landsat-ETM data. A field inventory was conducted to measure the required basic forest parameters and estimate the aboveground biomass (AGB) and carbon over the different forest classes. The Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) data were used in combination with ground-based GPS measurements to derive forest heights. Finally, the relationships between the estimated heights and AGB were established and validated. Highest biomass stocks were found in the mature stands (223 ± 37 MgC/ha), followed by the secondary forests (116 ± 17 MgC/ha) and finally the mangrove forests (36 ± 19 MgC/ha). Strong relationships were found between AGB and forest heights (R² > 0.85).     

Assessing the influence of return density on estimation of lidar-based aboveground biomass in tropical peat swamp forests of Kalimantan,Indonesia

The airborne lidar system (ALS) provides a means to efficiently monitor the status of remote tropical forests and continues to be the subject of intense evaluation. However, the cost of ALS acquisition can vary significantly depending on the acquisition parameters, particularly the return density (i.e., spatial resolution) of the lidar point cloud. This study assessed the effect of lidar return density on the accuracy of lidar metrics and regression models for estimating aboveground biomass (AGB) and basal area (BA) in tropical peat swamp forests (PSF) in Kalimantan, Indonesia. A large dataset of ALS covering an area of 123,000 ha was used in this study. This study found that cumulative return proportion (CRP) variables represent a better accumulation of AGB over tree heights than height-related variables. The CRP variables in power models explained 80.9% and 90.9% of the BA and AGB variations, respectively. Further, it was found that low-density (and low-cost) lidar should be considered as a feasible option for assessing AGB and BA in vast areas of flat, lowland PSF. The performance of the models generated using reduced return densities as low as 1/9 returns per m² also yielded strong agreement with the original high-density data. The use model-based statistical inferences enabled relatively precise estimates of the mean AGB at the landscape scale to be obtained with a fairly low-density of 1/4 returns per m², with less than 10% standard error (SE). Further, even when very low-density lidar data was used (i.e., 1/49 returns per m²) the bias of the mean AGB estimates were still less than 10% with a SE of approximately 15%. This study also investigated the influence of different DTM resolutions for normalizing the elevation during the generation of forest-related lidar metrics using various return densities point cloud. We found that the high-resolution digital terrain model (DTM) had little effect on the accuracy of lidar metrics calculation in PSF. The accuracy of low-density lidar metrics in PSF was more influenced by the density of aboveground returns, rather than the last return. This is due to the flat topography of the study area. The results of this study will be valuable for future economical and feasible assessments of forest metrics over large areas of tropical peat swamp ecosystems.     

Object-oriented crop mapping and monitoring using multi-temporal polarimetric RADARSAT-2 data

The aim of this paper is to assess the accuracy of an object-oriented classification of polarimetric Synthetic Aperture Radar (PolSAR) data to map and monitor crops using 19 RADARSAT-2 fine beam polarimetric (FQ) images of an agricultural area in North-eastern Ontario, Canada. Polarimetric images and field data were acquired during the 2011 and 2012 growing seasons. The classification and field data collection focused on the main crop types grown in the region, which include: wheat, oat, soybean, canola and forage. The polarimetric parameters were extracted with PolSAR analysis using both the Cloude–Pottier and Freeman–Durden decompositions. The object-oriented classification, with a single date of PolSAR data, was able to classify all five crop types with an accuracy of 95% and Kappa of 0.93; a 6% improvement in comparison with linear-polarization only classification. However, the time of acquisition is crucial. The larger biomass crops of canola and soybean were most accurately mapped, whereas the identification of oat and wheat were more variable. The multi-temporal data using the Cloude–Pottier decomposition parameters provided the best classification accuracy compared to the linear polarizations and the Freeman–Durden decomposition parameters. In general, the object-oriented classifications were able to accurately map crop types by reducing the noise inherent in the SAR data. Furthermore, using the crop classification maps we were able to monitor crop growth stage based on a trend analysis of the radar response. Based on field data from canola crops, there was a strong relationship between the phenological growth stage based on the BBCH scale, and the HV backscatter and entropy.     

Exploring image fusion of ALOS/PALSAR data and LANDSAT data to differentiate forest area

Remote sensing data utilize valuable information via various satellite sensors that have different specifications. Image fusion allows the user to combine different spatial and spectral resolutions to improve the information for purposes such as forest monitoring and land cover mapping. In this study, I assessed the contribution of dual-polarized Advanced Land Observing Satellite/Phased Array type L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar data to multispectral Landsat imagery. The research investigated the separability of forested areas using different image fusion techniques. Quality analysis of the fused images was conducted using qualitative and quantitative analyses. I applied the support vector machine image classification method for land cover mapping. Among all methods examined, the à trous wavelet transform method best differentiated the forested area with an overall accuracy (OA) of 94.316%, while Landsat had an OA of 92.626%. The findings of this study indicated that optical-SAR-fused images improve land cover classification, which results in higher quality forest inventory data and mapping.     

A survey of remote sensing-based aboveground biomass estimation methods in forest ecosystems

Remote sensing-based methods of aboveground biomass (AGB) estimation in forest ecosystems have gained increased attention, and substantial research has been conducted in the past three decades. This paper provides a survey of current biomass estimation methods using remote sensing data and discusses four critical issues – collection of field-based biomass reference data, extraction and selection of suitable variables from remote sensing data, identification of proper algorithms to develop biomass estimation models, and uncertainty analysis to refine the estimation procedure. Additionally, we discuss the impacts of scales on biomass estimation performance and describe a general biomass estimation procedure. Although optical sensor and radar data have been primary sources for AGB estimation, data saturation is an important factor resulting in estimation uncertainty. LIght Detection and Ranging (lidar) can remove data saturation, but limited availability of lidar data prevents its extensive application. This literature survey has indicated the limitations of using single-sensor data for biomass estimation and the importance of integrating multi-sensor/scale remote sensing data to produce accurate estimates over large areas. More research is needed to extract a vertical vegetation structure (e.g. canopy height) from interferometry synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) or optical stereo images to incorporate it into horizontal structures (e.g. canopy cover) in biomass estimation modeling.     

Retrieving aboveground biomass of wetland Phragmites australis (common reed) using a combination of airborne discrete-return LiDAR and hyperspectral data

Wetland biomass is essential for monitoring the stability and productivity of wetland ecosystems. Conventional field methods to measure or estimate wetland biomass are accurate and reliable, but expensive, time consuming and labor intensive. This research explored the potential for estimating wetland reed biomass using a combination of airborne discrete-return Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) and hyperspectral data. To derive the optimal predictor variables of reed biomass, a range of LiDAR and hyperspectral metrics at different spatial scales were regressed against the field-observed biomasses. The results showed that the LiDAR-derived H_p99 (99th percentile of the LiDAR height) and hyperspectral-calculated modified soil-adjusted vegetation index (MSAVI) were the best metrics for estimating reed biomass using the single regression model. Although the LiDAR data yielded a higher estimation accuracy compared to the hyperspectral data, the combination of LiDAR and hyperspectral data produced a more accurate prediction model for reed biomass (R² = 0.648, RMSE = 167.546 g/m², RMSE_r = 20.71%) than LiDAR data alone. Thus, combining LiDAR data with hyperspectral data has a great potential for improving the accuracy of aboveground biomass estimation.     

Forest classification and impact of BIOMASS resolution on forest area and aboveground biomass estimation

The European Space Agency (ESA) is currently implementing the BIOMASS mission as 7th Earth Explorer satellite. BIOMASS will provide for the first time global forest aboveground biomass estimates based on P-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery. This paper addresses an often overlooked element of the data processing chain required to ensure reliable and accurate forest biomass estimates: accurate identification of forest areas ahead of the inversion of radar data into forest biomass estimates.The use of the P-band data from BIOMASS itself for the classification into forest and non-forest land cover types is assessed in this paper. For airborne data in tropical, hemi-boreal and boreal forests we demonstrate that classification accuracies from 90 up to 97% can be achieved using radar backscatter and phase information. However, spaceborne data will have a lower resolution and higher noise level compared to airborne data and a higher probability of mixed pixels containing multiple land cover types. Therefore, airborne data was reduced to 50 m, 100 m and 200 m resolution. The analysis revealed that about 50–60% of the area within the resolution level must be covered by forest to classify a pixel with higher probability as forest compared to non-forest. This results in forest omission and commission leading to similar forest area estimation over all resolutions. However, the forest omission resulted in a biased underestimated biomass, which was not equaled by the forest commission. The results underline the necessity of a highly accurate pre-classification of SAR data for an accurate unbiased aboveground biomass estimation.     

An efficient application of fusion approach for hot spot detection with MODIS and PALSAR-1 data

Hot spot detection with satellite images, especially with synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images is still a challenging task. Several researchers have used TM/optical data for identification of hot spot but the use of SAR data is very limited for this type of application. The fusion of SAR data with TM/optical data may add additional information which in turn will lead for enhancement of detection capability of the hot spot. Therefore, this study explores the possibility of fusion of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Phased Array L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (PALSAR) satellite images for the hot spot detection. Image fusion is emerging as a powerful tool where information of various sensors can be used for obtaining better results. For this purpose, vegetation greenness and roughness information which is obtained from MODIS and PALSAR satellite images, respectively, are used for fusion, and then, a contextual-based thresholding algorithm is applied to the fused image for hot spot detection. The proposed approach comprises of two steps: (1) application of genetic algorithm-based scheme for image fusion of MODIS and PALSAR satellite images, and (2) classification of the fused image as either hot spot or non-hot spot pixels by employing a contextual thresholding technique. The algorithm is tested over the Jharia Coal Field region of India, where hot spot is one of the major problems and it is observed that the proposed thresholding technique classifies the each pixel of the fused image into two categories: hot spot and non-hot spot and the proposed approach detects the hot spot with better accuracy and less false alarm.     

Characterization of aboveground biomass in an unmanaged boreal forest using Landsat temporal segmentation metrics

Canada is dominated by forested ecosystems which are subject to various inventory and management practices, with more northern boreal forests subject to neither. Our objectives were to measure the capacity of temporal trajectory metrics for estimating selected forest attributes in a northern Canadian boreal forest context using Landsat imagery and investigate the importance of different types of temporal trajectory metrics. Results indicated that Wetness was the best Tasseled Cap (TC) component for aboveground biomass estimation (R² = 50%, RMSE% = 56%), and the combination of simple and complex metrics from all TC components produced the highest R² (62%) and lowest RMSE% (49%). Using a similar combination of variables, other forest attributes were estimated equally reliably with lower RMSE% values. The most important temporal trajectory metrics were simple and described TC component values at each point of change in the temporal trajectory, however the most important variables overall were environmental variables.     

Mapping forest aboveground biomass in the reforested Buffelsdraai landfill site using texture combinations computed from SPOT-6 pan-sharpened imagery

Developing models for estimating aboveground biomass (AGB) in naturally growing forests is critical for climate change modelling. AGB models developed using satellite imagery varies with study area, depending on the complexity of vegetation and landscape structure, which affects the upwelling radiance. We assessed the potential of SPOT-6 imagery in predicting AGB of trees planted at different time periods, using image texture combinations. Image texture variables were computed from the SPOT6 pan-sharpened image data, which is characterised by a 1.5 m spatial resolution. In addition, we incorporated the minimal variance technique to select the optimum window sizes that best captures AGB variation in our study area. The results showed that image texture was able to detect AGB for both mature and young trees, however, models detecting mature trees were more superior, with accuracies of R² = 0.70 and 0.25 for 2009–2011 and 2011–2013 plantation phases, respectively. In addition, our results showed that the three band texture ratios yielded the highest accuracy (R² = 0.88 and RMSE = 54.54 kg m⁻²) compared to two texture (R² = 0.85 and RMSE = 60.65 kg m⁻²) and single texture band combinations (R² = 0.64 and RMSE = 94.13 kg m⁻²). A frequency analysis was also run to determine which bands appeared more frequently in the selected texture band models. The frequency analysis revealed that both the red and green bands appeared more frequently on the selected texture band variables, indicating that they were more sensitive to the variation of AGB in our study area. The results showed high variation in AGB within the Buffelsdraai reforestation site, especially due to varying tree plantation phases as well as topography. In essence, the study demonstrated the possibility of image texture combinations computed from the SPOT-6 image in estimating AGB.     

Estimation of forest aboveground biomass from HJ1B imagery using a canopy reflectance model and a forest growth model

Accurately estimating the spatial distribution of forest aboveground biomass (AGB) is important because of its carbon budget forms part of the global carbon cycle. This paper presented three methods for obtaining forest AGB based on a forest growth model, a Multiple-Forward-Mode (MFM) method and a stochastic gradient boosting (SGB) model. A Li-Strahler geometric-optical canopy reflectance model (GOMS) with the ZELIG forest growth model was run using HJ1B imagery to derive forest AGB. GOMS-ZELIG simulated data were used to train the SGB model and AGB estimation. The GOMS-ZELIG AGB estimation was evaluated for 24 field-measured data and compared against the GOMS-SGB model and GOMS-MFM biomass predictions from multispectral HJ1B data. The results show that the estimation accuracy of the GOMS-MFM model is slightly higher than that of the GOMS-SGB model. The GOMS-ZELIG and GOMS-MFM models are considerably more accurate at estimating forest AGB in arid and semiarid regions.     

Polarization state conformation and its application to change detection in polarimetric SAR data

For polarimetric SAR (POLSAR) images, it is ideal that scattering geometries of the same target should display resemblance between multidate images, which are used in change detection applications, since the scattering mechanisms may change due to the data acquisition geometry. However, sometimes it is difficult to achieve these conditions. An attempt is made to maximize the resemblance between the scattering geometries in multidate images for a specific target. An algorithm is developed based on the polarimetric basis transformation along with the polarization signatures. As a result, the resemblance between the scattering mechanisms of the same target in both images is maximized. The effects predicted by the theory are confirmed by the change detection analysis of POLSAR data acquired by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C mission.