Height estimation of boreal Forest: interferometric model based inversion at L- and X-band vs. HUTSCAT profiling scatterometer

Kurzfassung

In this letter we present results from the FinSAR project, where the E-SAR and HUTSCAT instruments were operated together in order to validate tree height retrieval algorithms for boreal forest. The campaign was carried out in Finland in fall 2003. The main instruments of the campaign were the E-SAR airborne radar (operating at L- and X-band) and the HUTSCAT helicopter-borne profiling scatterometer (operating at X- and C-band). We compare and discuss forest height obtained from the inversion quad-pol POLInSAR data sets at L-band and forest height obtained from the inversion of single-pol Xband inSAR data with forest height estimates from HUTSCAT scatterometer data. Our results show that the forest height values, estimated by means of two different radar instruments, are in good agreement. The correlation between HUTSCAT and ESAR height estimates (R=0.77 at L- and R=0.75 At X-band) underline the good agreement between the results obtained by the two approaches.