Interferometric SAR Remote Sensing of Urban Areas at L-Band Using Multibaseline and Polarimetric Spectral Analysis Techniques

Abstract

In this thesis, spectral analysis techniques are generalized to process polarimetric multibaseline interferometric SAR data. These polarimetric array signal processing algorithms are described in a rigorous mathematical way and applied to urban areas. They permit the estimation of the reflector height, the scattering mechanism, and the polarimetric reflectivity. From single-baseline POL-InSAR observations, a digital elevation model of an urban scene is generated including the scattering types. Using polarimetric dual-baseline InSAR measurements, the building layover problem is resolved and three-dimensional SAR images are produced that reveal the reflection mechanisms. The performance of the algorithms is demonstrated by means of fully polarimetric dual-baseline interferometric SAR data at L-Band acquired by the E-SAR sensor of DLR.