Polarimetric SAR Image Analysis Using Model Fit for Urban Structures

Toshifumi MORIYAMA
Seiho URATSUKA
Toshihiko UMEHARA
Hideo MAENO
Makoto SATAKE
Akitsugu NADAI
Kazuki NAKAMURA

Publication
IEICE TRANSACTIONS on Communications   Vol.E88-B    No.3    pp.1234-1243
Publication Date: 2005/03/01
Online ISSN: 
DOI: 10.1093/ietcom/e88-b.3.1234
Print ISSN: 0916-8516
Type of Manuscript: PAPER
Category: Sensing
Keyword: 
radar polarimetry,  polarimetric decomposition technique,  model fit,  urban areas,  

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Summary: 
This paper describes a polarimetric feature extraction method from urban areas using the POLSAR (Polarimetric Synthetic Aperture Radar) data. The scattering characteristic of urban areas is different from that of natural distributed areas. The main point of difference is polarimetric correlation coefficient, because urban areas do not satisfy property of azimuth symmetry, Shh = Shv = 0. The decomposition technique based on azimuth symmetry can not be applied to urban areas. We propose a new model fit suitable for urban areas. The proposed model fit consists of odd-bounce, even-bounce and cross scattering models. These scattering models can represent the polarimetric backscatter from urban areas, and satisfy Shh 0 and Shv 0. In addition, the combination with the proposed model fit and the three component scattering model suited for natural distributed areas is examined. It is possible to apply the combined technique to POLSAR data which includes both urban areas and natural distributed areas. The combined technique is used for feature extraction of actual X-band POLSAR data acquired by Pi-SAR. It is shown that the proposed model fit is useful to extract polarimetric features from urban areas.