Analysis on the Effects of SAR Imaging Parameters and Environmental Conditions on the Standard Deviation of the Co-Polarized Phase Difference Measured over Sea Surface

Abstract

This study aimed at analyzing the effect of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imaging parameters and environmental conditions on the standard deviation of the co-polarized phase difference ( σφC ) evaluated over sea surface. The latter was shown to be an important polarimetric parameter widely used for sea surface target monitoring purposes. A theoretical model, based on the tilted-Bragg scattering, is proposed to predict the behavior of σφC against incidence angle for different roughness conditions. Then, a comprehensive experimental analysis, based on the processing of L-, C- and X-band polarimetric SAR scenes collected over different test areas under low-to-moderate wind conditions and covering a broad range of incidence angle, was carried out to discuss the effects of sensor’s and environmental parameters on sea surface σφC . Results show that SAR imaging parameters severely affect σφC , while the impact of meteo-marine conditions, under low-to-moderate wind regime, is almost negligible. Those outcomes have significant relevance to support the design of effective and robust algorithms for marine and maritime applications based on σφC , including the detection of metallic targets (ships and offshore infrastructures as oil/gas platforms, aquacultures, wind farms, etc.) and polluted areas.