Some statistical properties of surface slopes via remote sensing considering a non-Gaussian probability density function

Abstract

Theoretical relationships of statistical properties of surface slope from statistical properties of the image intensity in remotely sensed images, considering a non-Gaussian probability density function of the surface slope, are shown. Considering a variable detector line of sight angle and considering ocean waves moving along a single direction and that the observer and the sun are both in the vertical plane containing this direction, new expressions, using two different glitter functions, between the variance of the intensity of the image and the variance of the surface slopes are derived. In this case, skewness and kurtosis moments are taken into account. However, new expressions between correlation functions of the intensities in the image and surface slopes are numerically analyzed; for this case, the skewness moments were considered only. It is possible to observe more changes in these statistical relationships when the Rect function is used. The skewness and kurtosis values are in direct relation with the wind velocity on the sea surface.