Detection and velocity estimation of moving objects in a sequence of single-look SAR images

A method for detection of point-like moving objects and for estimation of their velocities with airborne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) is presented. This method is based on evaluation of the temporal correlation in a sequence of single-look SAR images which are processed using look filters with different center frequencies. In these images, candidates for moving objects are detected and a displacement vector estimation is performed for each candidate using a block matching algorithm as known from e.g. videotelephony. From the displacement vectors the velocities of the candidates in azimuth direction are calculated. The proposed algorithm has been applied to simulated and real raw data. The azimuth velocity component has been estimated with high accuracy, and a high detection probability with a low false alarm rate is reached.