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Change detection using Interferometric an d Polarimetric signatures in Argentina

Programme
Discovery
Programme Reference
AO4c
Contractor
Start Date
End Date
Country
Belgium
Change detection using Interferometric an d Polarimetric signatures in Argentina
Description

This Study comes in support to the CONAE SAOCOM Project. The objective of this project is to accomplish a breakthrough in the development of algorithms and associated tools for change detection in Argentina, the core domain of focus being agriculture. L-band SAR is suitable for monitoring agricultural processes, particularly soil moisture, while at higher frequencies the backscattering of soil is attenuated by vegetation. Several studies also demonstrated that L-band radar signatures contain important information about crop classification and biomass. We investigated the sensitivity and temporal evolution of polarimetric parameters for agricultural targets in study areas selected in Argentina within the SAOCOM Project. We carried out a study of the polarimetric signature of different targets, and a multi-temporal, spatial and angular analysis of these parameters. The field campaign information was used to simulate SAR images and implement a temporal evolution algorithm for classification in agricultural fields. A classification algorithm was implemented over the simulated SAR images and compared with the Wishart classification. It was then was successfully implemented over ALOS-PALSAR-2 and UAVSAR images. A study of interferometric coherence over agricultural fields, ending with PolinSAR analysis over the same fields, was done.

Executive summary