MEASUREMENT OF TOPOGRAPHY USING POLARIMETRIC SAR IMAGES

A processing technique for polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data has been developed which produces profiles of terrain slopes and elevations in the azimuthal (or along-track) direction, This techniqu e estimates the average shift in orientation angle of copolarization b ackscatter caused by azimuthal tilts of the scattering plane. Using P- band data, tests of this technique have been made for an area in the B lack Forest near Villingen/Schwenningen in Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany, The radar measured slope and derived elevation profiles have low rms errors and high correlation values when compared with a stereo-photogr aph digital-elevation map (DEM) for the area. This algorithm is capabl e of adaptively making transitions from the forested areas to nearby r egions with open-terrain, Subsequent tests of the algorithm have been conducted using polarimetric SAR L-band data for a mountainous, nonfor ested, region in the Mojave Desert (Ft. Irwin, CA) where an accurate D EM also was available. Complete elevation and slope mapping of the ter rain in two dimensions using this technique is possible when azimuthal elevation profiles are produced throughout the range extent of the SA R image.