Polarimetric Scattering and SAR Information Retrieval

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 modeling of terrain surface. The authors include quantitative approaches for remote sensing, such as the analysis of the Mueller matrix solution of random media, and mono-static and bistatic SAR image simulation. Jin and Xu also cover 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, 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