Radar remote sensing: land cover classification

The recent increase in the number of space-based and airborne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) systems and three-dimensional synthetic aperture radar systems (interferometric SAR; IFSAR) has resulted in new types of data that can complement other sensor systems and, in some cases, solve serious data collection deficiencies. These deficiencies are overcome because microwave sensors (SAR, IFSAR) can penetrate the ubiquitous cloud cover during the wet season in tropic and subtropic climates. They can also penetrate smoke that is often observed during the fire-prone dry season in regions such as the Amazon.