SAR Image Interpretation for Various Land Covers

A Practical Guide

Elizabeth Simms

• Publisher: CRC Press
• Year: 2019
• Print ISBN: 9781032474939
• eBook ISBN: 9780429559792
• Topic: Physical Sciences
• Subtopic: Geology & Earth Sciences

This full color book is a comprehensive visual reference for the interpretation of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images with examples of how technological specifications may affect interpretation solutions. It contains a summary review of image acquisition parameters of consequence on the visual representation of objects, introduces traditional interpretation keys under different light and applies them for considering regional landscape components and identifying large-scale geographical ensembles. Through elements of interpretation such as the construct of tone, texture, pattern, size, and shape, the book explains the rich unique context of many terrains. It provides also several SAR X- and C-band image examples of regional and large-scale land use and land cover (LULC) ensembles, includes important explanations for each illustration, and highlights selected SAR image applications. Ancillary information includes acquisition specifications, a geographic scale, and the image-center latitude and longitude.

Features:

• Provides ready access to any type of information for an image interpretation problem related to current LULC classification schemes.
• Presents scalable geographic information interpreted at a regional scale and land cover ensembles that can also be interpreted locally.
• Provides comparative examples of images acquired from X- and C-band, opposed look directions, near- and far-range incidence angles, like- and cross-polarization modes.
• Includes practical explanations easily transferred to individual's research projects.

Designed as "visual dictionary," SAR Image Interpretation for Various Land Covers: A Practical Guide, is an excellent introduction to the visual interpretation of SAR images for numerous types of LULC. Both practitioners and students will familiarize themselves with and expand their knowledge of geographic information conveyed from radar images while government agencies and businesses that use LULC-related data for emergency response cases of for urban and regional planning, will find this book invaluable.

1

Introduction

Visualization of the World in different ways is enabling one to understand it better. New technologies and related applications have led to the establishment of an extensive Earth observation data consumer base. Numerous types of sensors and platforms address a need for high revisit frequency, near real time viewing, access to remote locations, and always a high spatial resolution and seamless geographical coverage. Increasing demand for remote sensing images is an important motivation behind the development of new systems and advancement of the potential that current technologies have to offer. In this context, further awareness of the information that spatial data conveys expands the opportunities to learn about the built and natural landscapes, and our environment as a whole. Publicly available remote sensing image products currently reach a broad audience and support daily usage of geographical information. The preferred representation is intuitive, as it is a real color composite based on the visible spectral bands. However, only a very small portion of the electromagnetic spectrum contributes to this dataset. Remote sensing research and development professionals tirelessly seek out the potential of different data types. Synthetic aperture radar images, which utilize the microwave spectral band, are of great interest because they provide high spatial resolution images and an unobstructed view of the Earth surface during most weather conditions. The atmospheric window of the microwave spectral band makes it an ideal candidate for land use and land cover (LULC) monitoring. Also, the synthetic aperture radar image product is operational, but a challenge to its use expanding resides in an endeavor for people to apply this technology. It entails that information-rich representations are made available to the public, who, further, need to see that the images are useful to them. To understand the data visually is an important and first step in accessing the information that it provides and in eventually considering relevant numerical analysis.

The purpose of this book is to guide the interpretation of land cover from synthetic aperture radar images. Its aim is to assist practitioners, researchers, students, and the public whose activities involve collecting geographical information. A wide variety of LULC topics are presented for applications in...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Contents
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Biography
• List of Abbreviations
• 1. Introduction
• 2. Synthetic Aperture Radar: An Overview
• 3. Image Interpretation Keys
• 4. Regional Land Cover Descriptions
• 5. Large Scale Geographical Ensembles
• 6. Image Acquisition Specifications into Effect
• 7. Conclusion
• Bibliography
• Index