SAR RAW SIGNAL SIMULATION OF ACTUAL GROUND SITES DESCRIBED IN TERMS OF SPARSE INPUT DATA

This paper deals with the simulation of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) raw signal of actual ground sites described in terms of sparse input data, Since in most cases the input data reference system does not mat ch SAR requirements, it is necessary to adopt appropriate interpolatio n schemes. We focus our attention on elevation input data, noting that natural surfaces exhibit fractal properties. Fractal and nonfractal i nterpolation schemes are discussed and applied. Simulated images are s hown and compared to actual examples. Subjective and objective tests v alidate the simulation and support the fractal-based elevation interpo lation.