Characterisation of buildings using polarimetric interferometric multiple track L-band SAR data

In this paper a multiple view POL-InSAR approach for the analysis of urban areas is introduced: as a first step, a polarimetric classification scheme is applied that allows the identification of three basic scattering mechanisms: volume diffusion, double bounce and surface reflections. A relation between the interferometric phases of the Pauli polarization basis and the polarimetric scattering mechanisms is established. A method to estimate the phase corresponding to the surface is introduced. These phases are used to extract the height of buildings. Finally, the data is geocoded in order to synchronize images acquired from different positions. The proposed methods are applied to fully polarimetric and repeat pass interferometric data at L-band acquired by the DLR's experimental E-SAR system on August 1st, 2000 over the city of Dresden in Germany. The flight tracks form a rectangle.