Detecting changes between a DSM and a high resolution SAR image with the support of simulation based separation of urban scenes

As a SAR image is often the only available data in crisis situations, e.g. after an earthquake, a change analysis of the SAR image with previously acquired data may enable a fast analysis of the damage caused by the disaster. This paper presents a method for change analysis of the simulated appearance of a digital surface model (DSM) and a SAR image. A simulated SAR image is generated using the DSM and is separated into four masks indicating double bounce reflection, layover, shadow areas and ground reflection. Temporal changes of the corresponding areas in the real SAR image are analysed using pixel-based methods. Finally, the change detection results for the four masks are combined in order to obtain a robust change analysis result for single buildings. In this regard, the application of the proposed concept is presented for the city centre of Munich using TerraSAR-X data.