Utilizing H/A/Alpha Decomposition on Simulated NISAR Data for Water Body Mapping

Surface water bodies are crucial for ecosystems, climate regulation, and human societies, but dynamic changes challenge water resource management and sustainability. This study explores the utilization of h-Alpha decomposition on simulated NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) data for water body mapping applications. Surface water bodies are crucial components of Earth's hydrological system, impacting ecosystems and human societies alike. However, monitoring and mapping these water bodies accurately pose challenges due to dynamic changes and limited spatial-temporal data. The NISAR mission offers a unique opportunity with its advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) capabilities. In this study, the application of H/A/Alpha decomposition method to NISAR simulated data is explored over four different locations globally. Preprocessing involves speckle filtering to enhance data quality. The h-Alpha method effectively decomposes SAR data based on polarization characteristics, allowing for the clear identification and distinction of water bodies in the imagery.