Multi-angular ground-based SAR system for soil surface roughness characterisation

• Published in: Electronics letters 2015-07, Vol.51 (15), p.1197-1199
• Main Authors: Wang, H.Q, Méric, S, Allain, S, Pottier, E
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Backscattering; cell sizes; C‐band; Electronics; Engineering Sciences; GB‐SAR measurement; ground‐based SAR system; high incidence angle configuration; Incidence angle; multiangular SAR signature; Optimization; Radar signatures; Radar, sonar and navigation; remote sensing by radar; Resolution cell; SAR backscattering mechanisms; soil; Soil (material); soil surface roughness characterisation; Surface roughness; Synthetic aperture radar
• ISSN: 0013-5194; 1350-911X; 1350-911X
• DOI: 10.1049/el.2015.1619

A ground-based (GB) synthetic aperture radar (SAR) system is proposed for soil surface roughness discrimination at the C-band. By using this GB-SAR system, the multi-angular SAR measurement is realised at different resolution cell sizes. The specific levels of surface roughness are set deliberately to analyse the roughness contribution on the multi-angular SAR signature in a controlled experimental condition. Based on the GB-SAR measurement, the effect of incidence angle on SAR sensitivity is studied under two resolution cell sizes for retrieving soil surface roughness. The results show that, the using the GB-SAR system, the high incidence angle configuration (e.g. > 40°) is optimal to discriminate surface roughness, which is more significant at small resolution cell sizes (e.g. 30 cm). This study indicates the effectivity of the GB-SAR system to validate the SAR backscattering mechanisms.