A comparative study of tomographic SAR focusing methods

SAR tomography is a remote sensing technique, extending SAR interferometry, that allows three-dimensional imaging of volumetric targets. It allows, for example, to analyse the vertical structure of vegetation layers or other targets with significant penetration of the sensor's radiation (dry soil, ice layers, etc.). The ability to monitor the 3-D inner structure of volumetric targets and to extract information about the nature and location of ongoing scattering processes promises a break-through in key environmental problems. Indeed, structural parameters of volume scatterers in the biosphere and cryosphere, such as vegetation height and moisture content, forest vertical structure and biomass, or snow / ice depth and layering are critical inputs for ecological process modelling and enable effective monitoring of ecosystem change.