Crop Characterisation at X-band Pol-InSAR

Abstract

In this paper two selected system modes of TerraSAR-X, polarimetric SAR and repeat pass interferometric SAR will be investigated. Even if the primary mission goal of TerraSAR-X was not SAR polarimetry and SAR interferometry, TerraSAR-X offers a number of new perspectives to polarimetric and interferometric SAR when compared to current SAR Sensors. The potential of using X-band fully polarimetry for surface parameter estimation will be analysed over bare agricultural fields. Further, the sensitivity of the interferometric coherences to volume decorelation of short vegetated crops will be explored using repeat pass interferometric modes and the effect of temporal decorrelation will be quantified. The TerraSAR-X data in single, dual and the experimental fully polarimetric mode will explored in comparison with the X-band airborne data from the E-SAR system.