DEM Reconstruction and New Techniques using Airborne SAR Data

Abstract

SAR interferometry has become a well-established method for the generation of DEM’s of the Earth’s surface. The airborne SAR system of DLR (E-SAR) is one of few airborne SAR systems in Europe and abroad, which is operated in single-pass interferometric mode, and thus is able to generate DEM’s with an accuracy in the order of 1-2 m. The presentation gives first an overview of the E-SAR system and of the typical characteristics of DEM’s obtained by airborne SAR systems. In the second part of the presentation, new techniques and applications developed with data of the E-SAR system will be presented: - airborne repeat-pass SAR interferometry for change detection, DEM reconstruction in forested areas, investigation of volumetric effects. - polarimetric SAR interferometry for the determination of vegetation height. - SAR tomography for true three-dimensional imaging. - airborne differential SAR interferometry for high resolution subsidence, landslide and glacier monitoring. Examples will be provided for each of these techniques.