A unitary Mueller-based view of polarimetric SAR oil slick observation

Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) oil slick observation is a topic of great applicative relevance which has been physically recast by a set of new polarimetric approaches that exploit the departure from Bragg scattering. In this article, under a unitary Mueller-based view, all the approaches are revisited and reformulated in terms of Mueller matrix elements. This new view is of theoretical and applicative relevance because it allows us to ‘unify’ the output parameters in the same range and, therefore, makes possible a fair ranking of these approaches.     

Study on segmentation and interpretation of multi-look polarimetric SAR images

The segmentation and interpretation of multi-look polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images is studied. We first introduce a multi-look polarimetric whitening filter (MPWF) to reduce the speckle in multi-look polarimetric SAR images. Then, by utilizing the wavelet multiresolution approach to extract the texture information in different scales and the Markov random field (MRF) model to characterize the spatial constraints between pixels in each scale level, a multiresolution segmentation algorithm (MSA) to segment the speckle-reduced SAR images is presented. The MSA first segments the image at the lowest resolution level and then proceeds to progressively higher resolutions until individual pixels are well classified. An unsupervised step to estimate both the optimal number of texture classes and their model parameters is also included in the MSA so that the segmentation can be implemented without supervision. Finally, in order to interpret the results of the unsupervised segmentation and to understand the whole polarimetric SAR image, we develop an image interpretation approach which jointly utilizes the scattering mechanism identification and target decomposition approaches. Experimental results with the real-world multi-look polarimetric SAR image demonstrate the effectiveness of the segmentation and interpretation approaches.     

Estimation of Sea Surface Velocities from SAR Images Using the Doppler Shift

The sea surface velocities field plays an important role in seawater exchange and substance transportation.In this paper,the Wide Swath Mode(WSM) data derived from the ENVISAT Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar(ASAR) are used to retrieve the high-resolution sea surface velocities field.based on the theoretical model of SAR Doppler shift,the errors caused by the relative motion between Earth and satellite are removed.Then we use the C Band Doppler Frequency Model(CDOP) and the Bragg scattering model to remove the errors caused by the sea surface wind and Bragg scattering,respectively.The data used to verify the accuracy of the retrieval results are AVISO(Archiving Validation and Interpretation of Satellite Oceanographic) velocities and the GLD(Global Drifting Buoy) velocities.Our method is applied both in the coastal area with land cover(Agulhas) and the open sea(Kuroshio) without any land.Results show that in Agulhas,the velocity ranges from -1.8 m/s to 1.8 m/s,and their directions agree very well.In the Kuroshio,the ASAR current can clearly reveal the flow path and direction of the Kuroshio,and it matches well with the AVISO current.The comprehensive results shows,the Root Mean Square Error(RMSE) of ASAR and AVISO is 0.17 m/s,and the RMSE of ASAR and GLD is 0.11 m/s.This implies that the methods used here not only simplified the processes but also has high accuracy to retrieve sea surface velocities both in the coastal area and in the open sea.     

SAR images analysis based on polarimetric signatures

In the presented paper a new method of identification of canonical coherent scatterers in the quad-polarimetric SAR data are presented. The proposed method is based on the analysis of polarimetric signatures. The observed signatures are compared with the polarimetric signatures of four canonical objects: trihedral, dihedral and helix – right and left which represent basic scattering mechanisms: single bounce, double bounce and helix scattering. The polarimetric matrices are treated as vectors in a unitary space with a scalar product that generates the norm. A recognized object is classified to one of the four coherent classes by a Kohonen network. It is not trained in an iteration process but its weights are adjusted according to the given patterns. The network classification is supported by rules. The obtained maps of pixels that represent canonical objects are compared with a map of coherent scatterers which was obtained by using the polarimetric entropy approach. The developed method of canonical coherent scatterers identification based on the polarimetric signatures analysis allows us not only to identify precisely the canonical coherent scatterers but also to determine the type of scattering mechanism characteristic for each of them. Since the proposed method works on a single-look (non-averaged) SAR data, it does not cause any spatial nor spectral decrease of amount of information because averaging is not conducted. Moreover, the proposed method will enable us the identification of a type of scattering mechanism in the canonical coherent pixels. This is an improvement in comparison to the existing methods. The obtained results should be more precise because the full polarimetric information about the scatterers is used in the identification procedure.     

Unsupervised classification of polarimetric SAR image with dynamic clustering: An image processing approach

This paper proposes a new unsupervised classification approach for automatic analysis of polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (SAR) image. Classification of the information in multi-dimensional polarimetric SAR data space by dynamic clustering is addressed as an optimization problem and two recently proposed techniques based on particle swarm optimization (PSO) are applied to find optimal (number of) clusters in a given input data space, distance metric and a proper validity index function. The first technique, so-called multi-dimensional (MD) PSO, re-forms the native structure of swarm particles in such a way that they can make inter-dimensional passes with a dedicated dimensional PSO process. Therefore, in a multi-dimensional search space where the optimum dimension is unknown, swarm particles can seek both positional and dimensional optima. Nevertheless, MD PSO is still susceptible to premature convergence due to lack of divergence. To address this problem, fractional global best formation (FGBF) technique is then presented, which basically collects all promising dimensional components and fractionally creates an artificial global-best particle (aGB) that has the potential to be a better “guide” than the PSO’s native gbest particle. In this study, the proposed dynamic clustering process based on MD-PSO and FGBF techniques is applied to automatically classify the color-coded representations of the polarimetric SAR information (i.e. the type of scattering, backscattering power) extracted by means of the Pauli or the Cloude–Pottier decomposition algorithms. The performance of the proposed method is evaluated based on fully polarimetric SAR data of the San Francisco Bay acquired by the NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory Airborne SAR (AIRSAR) at L-band. The proposed unsupervised technique determines the number of classes within polarimetric SAR image for optimal classification performance while preserving spatial resolution and textural information in the classified results. Additionally, it is possible to further apply the proposed dynamic clustering technique to higher dimensional (N-D) feature spaces of fully polarimetric SAR data.     

基于极化雷达影像的海岛礁提取

提出了一种利用RADARSAT-2全极化SAR影像和极化特征参数提取精确的海岛礁范围的技术方法。极化特征熵参数描述了目标散射的随机性,与海水相比海岛礁处于较高的去极化状态,因此海岛礁的熵值明显大于海水的熵值。首先本文利用EM(Expectation Maximization,最大数学期望)算法自动计算的提取海岛礁最佳阈值对熵参数文件进行阈值分割,得到海岛礁的初始分割结果。由于受到船只和海水表面波浪的影响,海水部分也会存在与海岛礁近似的熵值。因此初步阈值分割得到的海岛礁结果会有部分海水和船只等,利用PSNR(Peak value signal-to-noise ratio,峰值信噪比)提取海水大致范围并剔除海水范围内初始分割结果中的噪声部分。最后根据TM影像提取的海岛礁范围进行精度评价,实验结果表明该技术方法能够从极化SAR影像上准确提取海岛礁范围。     

Similarity-enhanced target detection algorithm using polarimetric SAR images

Target detection and analysis using polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (PolSAR) images are currently of great interest in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) applications. For a complex target, the scattering characteristics are determined by different independent sub-scatterers and their interaction; therefore, the scattering characteristics should be described by a statistical method due to randomness and depolarization. Furthermore, the inherent speckle in SAR data must be reduced by spatial averaging at the expense of loss of spatial resolution. The polarimetric similarity parameter (PSP) is an effective parameter to analyse target characteristics. In order to describe a complex distributed target, two new methods for calculating PSP are proposed, namely Stokes matrix-based PSP (S-PSP) and multiple PolSAR similarity parameter (MPSP). The characteristics of a target can be described and extracted on the basis of the polarimetric similarity, and then the similarity-enhanced target detection methods using S-PSP and MPSP are implemented and demonstrated with German Aerospace Centre (DLR) experimental SAR L-band multiple temporal PolSAR images of Oberpfaffenhofen test site (DE), Germany. The results confirmed that the proposed methods are effective for detection and analysis of buildings in urban areas.     

基于对象的合成孔径雷达影像极化分解方法

面向对象方法已成为全极化合成孔径雷达（SAR）影像处理的常用方法,但是极化分解仍以组成对象的像素为计算单元,针对以像素为单位的极化分解效率低的问题,提出一种面向对象的极化分解方法。通过散射相似性系数加权迭代,获得对象的极化表征矩阵并对其收敛性进行了分析,以对象极化表征矩阵的极化分解代替对象区域内所有像素的分解,提高极化特征获取效率。在此基础上,综合影像对象空间特征,并通过特征选择与支持向量机(SVM)分类进行分析和评价。通过AIRSAR Flevoland影像数据实验表明,面向对象的分解方法能够减少对象极化特征提取的时间,同时提高地物目标的分类精度。相对于监督Wishart方法,提出方法的总体精度和Kappa值分别提高了17%和20%。     

Polarimetric SAR image classification by Boosted Multiple-Kernel Extreme Learning Machines with polarimetric and spatial features

In this paper, we propose new approach: Boosted Multiple-Kernel Extreme Learning Machines (BMKELMs), a multiple kernel version of Kernel Extreme Learning Machine (KELM). We apply it to the classification of fully polarized SAR images using multiple polarimetric and spatial features. Compared with other conventional multiple kernel learning methods, BMKELMs exploit KELM with the boosting paradigm coming from ensemble learning (EL) to train multiple kernels. Additionally, different fusion strategies such as majority voting, weighted majority voting, MetaBoost, and ErrorPrune were used for selecting the classification result with the highest overall accuracy. To show the performance of BMKELMs against other state-of-the-art approaches, two L-band fully polarimetric airborne SAR images (Airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (AIRSAR) data collected by NASA JPL over the Flevoland area of The Netherlands and Electromagnetics Institute Synthetic Aperture Radar (EMISAR) data collected by DLR over Foulum in Denmark) were considered. Experimental results indicate that the proposed technique achieves the highest classification accuracy values when dealing with multiple features, such as a combination of polarimetric coherency and multi-scale spatial features.     

Feature selection and weighted SVM classifier-based ship detection in PolSAR imagery

Target decomposition is an important method for ship detection in polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery. Parameters such as the polarization entropy and alpha angle deduced from the coherency matrix eigenvalue decomposition capture the differences between the target and background from different views separately. However, under the conditions of a relatively high resolution and a rough sea, the contrast between ship and sea reduces in the aforementioned space. Based on the analyses of target decomposition theory and the target’s scattering mechanism, multi-polarization parameters can be used to characterize different scattering behaviours of the ship target and sea clutter. Moreover, each parameter has its own diverse significance in the practical detection problem. This article proposes a feature selection and weighted support vector machine (FSWSVM) classifier-based algorithm to detect ships in polarimetric SAR (PolSAR) imagery. First, the method constructs a feature vector that consists of multi-polarization parameters. Then, different polarization parameters are refined and weighted according to their significance in the support vector machine (SVM) classifier. Finally, ships are classified from the sea background and other false alarms by the classifier. The validation results on National Aeronautics and Space Administration/Jet Propulsion Laboratory (NASA/JPL) airborne synthetic aperture radar (AIRSAR) and Radarsat-2 quad polarimetric data illustrate that the method detects ship targets more precisely and reduces false alarms effectively.     

Discrimination of maize crop with hybrid polarimetric RISAT1 data

Microwave remote sensing provides an attractive approach to determine the spatial variability of crop characteristics. Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) image data provide unique possibility of acquiring data in all weather conditions. Several studies have used fully polarimetric data for extracting crop information, but it is limited by swath width. This study aimed to delineate maize crop using single date hybrid dual polarimetric Radar Imaging Satellite (RISAT)-1, Fine Resolution Stripmap mode (FRS)-1 data. Raney decomposition technique was used for explaining different scattering mechanisms of maize crop. Supervised classification on the decomposition image discriminated maize crop from other land-cover features. Results were compared with Resourcesat-2, Linear Imaging Self Scanner (LISS)-III optical sensor derived information. Spatial agreement of 91% was achieved between outputs generated from Resourcesat-2, LISS-III sensor and RISAT-1 data.     

Investigating the effect of the physical scattering mechanism of the dual-polarization sentinel-1 data on the temporal coherence optimization results

Polarimetric Persistent Scatterer Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (PS-InSAR) is an effective technique for increasing the number and phase quality of selected persistent scatterer (PS) pixels. In this technique, multitemporal polarimetric data is used to find the dominant scattering mechanism of targets in a stack of SAR data by polarimetric optimization and to improve the performance of PSI methods for deformation studies. The main goal of polarimetric optimization is to find the optimum scattering mechanism to generate interferograms with better quality. In this paper, we investigated the effect of the physical scattering mechanism on the temporal coherence optimization results. In this framework, we only optimized the physical scattering mechanism. This optimization is based on maximizing the temporal coherency criterion by changing the type of scattering mechanism to increase the number of PS with good phase quality. The proposed method is tested using a dataset of 17 dual-pol SAR data (VV/VH) acquired by Sentinel1-A satellite. This paper concludes that the phase quality of PS pixels can be improved by optimization of physical scattering mechanism. Also, the results show an overall increase of PS pixels density in different areas with respect to the conventional channel of VV.     

基于极化合成的目标分类算法

极化合成是极化SAR图像处理的一种重要方法,它能在成像处理后,利用已获得的Sinclair矩阵重新生成任意极化方式下的雷达接收功率图像,并能通过选取收发天线极化状态相同或正交,分别得到描述目标散射特性的共极化特征图和交叉极化特征图。根据极化合成理论和极化特征图的概念,可以获取目标的最佳极化。将其作为分类器的输入特征量,提出了一种基于极化合成的目标分类算法,并对实测极化SAR数据进行了分类实验。结果表明,该算法对于从极化SAR数据中获取目标的最佳极化,进而对目标进行分类是可行和有效的。     

Modification of a scattering model-based speckle filter applied to coastal environments: an LULC study using PALSAR data

A modified scattering model-based speckle filter (SMBSF) based on the spatial proximity principle was applied to the analysis of phased array type L-band synthetic aperture radar (PALSAR) polarimetric data in the coastal environment of North Carolina, USA. The modified filter preserved polarimetric characteristics and further reduced speckle noise qualitatively and quantitatively. Classification accuracy using the SAR data filtered by the modified filter was improved, especially for the forest class.     

An algorithm for estimating the noise levels in polarimetric SAR image data

A novel algorithm is used to estimate the noise level in polarimetric SAR image data channels, by using the measured signature of an idealized surface with Bragg Scattering. This estimated noise level can then be used to correct the measured backscatter signatures from polarimetricSAR image data.     

改进的遗传算法用于极化合成孔径雷达影像非监督分类

H/α-Wishart分类方法是目前常用且较为有效的极化SAR影像分类方法,但其分类精度还有待改善。研究一种基于遗传算法的极化SAR影像的分类方法,该方法根据极化SAR影像Cloude特征分解的特征值,采用H/α平面进行初分类,然后采用遗传算法迭代进行再次分类。针对遗传算法“早熟”和收敛速度慢的问题,结合H/α平面图对遗传算法的变异算子进行了改进,以利用极化散射机理缩小变异范围,改善算法收敛速度。采用NASA-JPL实验室的极化SAR数据以及中国电子科技集团38研究X波段原型样机的高分辨率极化SAR数据进行实验,结果表明:该方法极化SAR影像分类精度优于H/α-Wishart分类方法。     

Towards a detection of grassland cutting practices with dual polarimetric TerraSAR-X data

In this study, polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (SAR) parameters are analysed and compared with in situ measurements in order to develop a methodology for detecting cutting practices within grassland areas. The grasslands were monitored with TerraSAR-X radar imaging in dual polarization HH/VV mode and are located near the banks of the Kasari River, close to the Baltic Sea coast of Estonia. The parameters analysed include HH, VV, HH + VV, and HH – VV backscatter, HH/VV polarimetric coherence magnitude and phase, T₁₂ polarimetric coherence magnitude and phase, and also dual polarimetric entropy, alpha, and alpha dominant parameters. Using these parameters derived from the dual polarimetric TerraSAR-X data set, it was virtually impossible to distinguish tall grass (height >30 cm) from short grass (height <30 cm). On the other hand, it proved feasible to detect areas where grass had been cut and left on the ground. Several parameters showed specific behaviour for the state of grassland and the most notable change was found in the dual polarimetric dominant scattering alpha angle. This angle changed from 10° to 25° after tall grass had been cut and left on the ground. This behaviour of the dominant scattering alpha angle can effectively be described using a particle scattering model for vegetation backscattering.     

基于Krogager分解和SVM的极化SAR图像分类

目标分解包括基于Sinclair矩阵的相干目标分解和基于Mueller矩阵的部分相干目标分解,Krogager分解即属于相干目标分解,它可以将任一对称Sinclair矩阵分解为球散射体、二面角散射体和螺旋体3个分量,这是极化合成孔径雷达(Synthetic Aperture Radar,SAR)图像特征提取的有效途径。把3个分量的分解系数作为极化散射特征,由其组成样本向量,运用基于统计学习理论的支持向量机(Support Vector Machines,SVM)设计多类分类器,提出了一种极化SAR图像分类算法,并对实测极化SAR数据进行分类实验。结果表明,将Krogager分解和SVM分类器结合起来,对极化SAR图像进行分类是可行和有效的,并且选择不同的参数得到的分类结果差别很大,验证了参数选择在SVM分类器中的重要作用。     

Analysis of the applicability of multi-temporal full polarimetric airborne L-band SAR scattering to paddy rice field mapping

ABSTRACT

A Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) is an all-weather imaging system that is often used for mapping paddy rice fields and estimating the area. Fully polarimetric SAR is used to detect the microwave scattering property. In this study, a simple threshold analysis of fully polarimetric L-band SAR data was conducted to distinguish paddy rice fields from soybean and other fields. We analysed a set of ten airborne SAR L-band 2 (Pi-SAR-L2) images obtained during the paddy rice growing season (in June, August, and September) from 2012 to 2014 using polarimetric decomposition. Vector data for agricultural land use areas were overlaid on the analysed images and the mean value for each agricultural parcel computed. By quantitatively comparing our data with a reference dataset generated from optical sensor images, effective polarimetric parameters and the ideal observation season were revealed. Double bounce scattering and surface scattering component ratios, derived using a four-component decomposition algorithm, were key to extracting paddy rice fields when the plant stems are vertical with respect to the ground. The alpha angle was also an effective factor for extracting rice fields from an agricultural area. The data obtained during August show maximum agreement with the reference dataset of estimated paddy rice field areas.     

全极化SAR影像城区建筑密度分析

针对全极化SAR影像的建筑区特性,提出了一种基于极化特征共生矩阵的城区建筑密度分析方法。首先将极化特征与共生矩阵结合,在考虑建筑区极化散射机理和建筑朝向作用的同时,兼顾了建筑区的空间排列信息,在此基础上为了增强建筑密度的局部区域特性,将共生矩阵特征进行K-means聚类,结合图像分块形成标号直方图统计矢量,进而对该直方图统计矢量进行矢量量化实现SAR影像城区的建筑密度分级。RadarSat-2全极化SAR影像城区建筑密度分析的实验表明,该方法既适用于建筑朝向复杂城区也适用于建筑排列整齐城区的密度信息提取。