Taking an innovative look at Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), this practical reference fully covers new developments in SAR and its various methodologies and enables readers to interpret SAR imagery

An essential reference on polarimetric Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), this book uses scattering theory and radiative transfer theory as a basis for its treatment of topics. It is organized to include theoretical scattering models and SAR data analysis techniques, and presents cutting-edge research on theoretical modelling of terrain surface. The book includes quantitative approaches for remote sensing, such as the analysis of the Mueller matrix solution of random media, mono-static and bistatic SAR image simulation. It also covers new parameters for unsupervised surface classification, DEM inversion, change detection from multi-temporal SAR images, reconstruction of building objects from multi-aspect SAR images, and polarimetric pulse echoes from multi-layering scatter media.

Structured to encourage methodical learning, earlier chapters cover core material, whilst later sections involve more advanced new topics which are important for researchers. The final chapter completes the book as a reference by covering SAR interferometry, a core topic in the remote sensing community.

• Features theoretical scattering models and SAR data analysis techniques
• Explains the simulation of SAR images for mono- and bi-static radars, covering both qualitative and quantitative information retrieval
• Chapter topics include: theoretical scattering models; SAR data analysis and processing techniques; and theoretical quantitative simulation reconstruction and inversion techniques
• Structured to enable both academic learning and independent study, laying down the foundations first of all before advancing to more complex topics
• Experienced author team presents mathematical derivations and figures so that they are easy for readers to understand
• Pitched at graduate-level students in electrical engineering, physics, earth and space sciences, as well as researchers
• MATLAB code available for readers to run their own routines

An invaluable reference for research scientists, engineers and scientists working on polarimetric SAR hardware and software, Application developers of SAR and polarimetric SAR, remote sensing specialists working with SAR data - using ESA.

Ya-Qiu Jin, Fudan University, China
Professor Jin is Chair Professor and Director of the Key Lab of Wave Scattering and Remote Sensing Information, at Fudan University, Shanghai, China. He is an IEEE Fellow, a Fellow of the Electromagnetics Academy (USA) and CIE as well as being Chair of the IEEE Fellow Evaluation Committee (GRSS), a Member of IEEE GRSS AdCom, and Associate Editor of IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing.

Feng Xu, Intelligent Automation, Inc, USA
Dr. Xu holds the post of Research Scientist at Intelligent Automation, Inc, Rockville, USA. He took his PhD at Fudan University in Shanghai, China and was a postdoctoral researcher at NOAA/NESDIS, USA, from 2008-2009.

Structured to encourage methodical learning, earlier chapters cover core material, while later sections involve more advanced new topics which are important for researchers. The final chapter completes the book as a reference by covering SAR interferometry, a core topic in the remote sensing community.

The book is designed for researchers, engineers and scientists working on polarimetric SAR hardware and software, application developers of SAR and polarimetric SAR, and remote sensing specialists working with SAR data, using ESA, Radarsat and ALOS data. The book is also geared for a number of other related readers:

• Users of the technology in agriculture, earth science, environmental sciences, forestry, oceanography
• Students and specialists working in geomatics and using remote sensing data in hazardous areas for earthquakes, landslides, and floods
• Graduate students in electric engineering, physics, earth and space sciences

• Features theoretical scattering models and SAR data analysis techniques
• Explains the simulation of SAR images for mono- and bi-static radars, covering both qualitative and quantitative information retrieval
• Chapter topics include: theoretical scattering models; SAR data analysis and processing techniques; and theoretical quantitative simulation reconstruction and inversion techniques
• Structured to enable both academic learning and independent study, laying down the foundations first of all before advancing to more complex topics
• Experienced author team presents mathematical derivations and figures so that they are easy for readers to understand
• Pitched at graduate-level students in electrical engineering, physics, earth and space sciences, as well as researchers
• MATLAB code available for readers to run their own routines

Preface xi

1 Basics of Polarimetric Scattering 1

1.1 Polarized Electromagnetic Wave 1

1.1.1 Jones Vector and Scattering Matrix 1

1.1.2 Stokes Vector and Mueller Matrix 4

1.2 Volumetric Scattering 9

1.2.1 Small Particle under RayleighGans Approximation 9

1.2.2 Slim Cylinder 11

1.3 Surface Scattering 13

1.3.1 Plane Surface 13

1.3.2 Rough Surface 14

1.3.3 Kirchhoff Approximation 16

1.3.4 Small-Perturbation Approximation 19

1.3.5 Two-Scale Approximation 21

1.3.6 Integral Equation Method 22

1.3.7 Tilted Surface or Oriented Object 25

References 26

2 Vector Radiative Transfer 29

2.1 Radiative Transfer Equation 29

2.1.1 Specific Intensity and Stokes Vector 29

2.1.2 Thermal Emission and Brightness Temperature 32

2.1.3 Vector Radiative Transfer Equation 33

2.2 Components in Radiative Transfer Equation 35

2.2.1 Scattering, Absorption, and Extinction Coefficients 35

2.2.2 Extinction Matrix 36

2.2.3 Phase Matrix 39

2.3 Mueller Matrix Solution 40

2.3.1 First-Order Mueller Matrix Solution 40

2.3.2 Modeling of Vegetation Canopy over Rough Surface 43

2.3.3 Numerical Examples of Modeling of Vegetation Canopy 47

2.4 Polarization Indices and Entropy 52

2.4.1 Eigen-Analysis of Mueller Matrix 52

2.4.2 Relationship between Eigenvalues, Entropy, and Polarization Indices 53

2.4.3 Demonstration with AirSAR Imagery 55

2.5 Statistics of Stokes Parameters 59

2.5.1 Multi-Look Covariance Matrix and Complex Wishart Distribution 59

2.5.2 PDFs of the Four Stokes Parameters 60

2.5.3 Comparison with AirSAR Image Data 67

Appendix 2A: Phase Matrix of Non-Spherical Particles 72

References 76

3 Imaging Simulation of Polarimetric SAR: Mapping and Projection Algorithm 79

3.1 Fundamentals of SAR Imaging 79…