Change Detection on Grassland in a Controlled Access Area Using L-Band Full Polarimetric SAR Data

The possibility of fully polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (SAR) decomposition to detect the temporal change in grassland condition is examined in this study. The study site is located in the coastal area of the Fukushima prefecture, Japan. This area experienced contamination from radioactive materials coming from the nuclear power plant accident caused by the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake. It also includes the controlled access area for residents affected by the accident. ALOS PALSAR and ALOS-2 PALSAR-2 data were analyzed, and artificial grassland areas for the animal industry were extracted. The foreshortening effect should be considered for evaluation of the target in a mountainous area. The decrease of the surface scattering component and increase of the volume scattering component is found in the grassland area in the controlled access area. The change of the scattering component proportion reflects the land-use change on other facilities.