Tomographic Urban Imaging using TerraSAR-X High Resolution Spotlight Data Stacks

Abstract

conventional spaceborne or airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) maps the three-dimensional (3-D) reflectivity distribution of a scene to be imaged into the 2-D azimuth-range (x-r) plane. This can be seen as a projection along the third radar coordinate, elevation (s). x, r, and s form an orthogonal coordinate system specific to the particular SAR imaging geometry. This projection particularly handicaps the interpretation of SAR images of (i) volumetric scatterers and (ii) of urban areas and man-made objects, i.e. objects with constructive elements oriented at steeper angles than the local incidence angle.