Fractal parameters and SAR images

The fractal geometry proved to be the most appropriate mathematical instrument in describing natural scenes, by means of few effective and reliable geophysical parameters. In this paper we describe a complete processing chain for the retrieving of SAR image fractal parameters and for change detection purposes. We present an overall framework employing fractal based models, algorithms and tools to support identification of natural area changes due to natural or man-made disasters. In addition, we test our fractal framework in a simulated disaster scenario. In particular, we consider the case of a simulated volcano eruption scenario to test the potentialities of our technique for lava flow detection. We also compare the performances of the proposed framework on different kinds of disasters to stress the significant differences in the parameters used for change detection purposes.