High resolution boreal forest LAI maps using dual polarization SAR images

Author

Manninen, Terhikki

Author_Institution

Finnish Meteorol. Inst., Helsinki, Finland

fYear

2012

fDate

22-27 July 2012

Firstpage

1680

Lastpage

1683

Abstract

A method for a leaf area index (LAI) map retrieval based on VV/HH polarization SAR images is presented for boreal forest. LAI estimation is carried out by non-local averaging and a previously derived relationship between LAI and the VV/HH backscattering ratio. When prior information of pixel order with respect to LAI magnitude is available, the microwave based LAI map obtained by non-local averaging is very similar to a corresponding optical image based LAI map. Finding an optimal method for pixel order determination without prior information is still a question of further research, but the first results using simple approaches are promising.

Keywords

backscatter; geophysical image processing; image resolution; radar imaging; radar polarimetry; synthetic aperture radar; vegetation; vegetation mapping; HH polarization SAR image; LAI estimation; LAI magnitude; LAI map retrieval; VV polarization SAR image; VV/HH backscattering ratio; dual polarization SAR image; high resolution boreal forest LAI map; leaf area index; microwave based LAI map; nonlocal averaging; optical image based LAI map; pixel order determination; prior information; Backscatter; Estimation; Indexes; Optical imaging; Spatial resolution; Synthetic aperture radar; Albedo; airborne; boreal forest; leaf area index; radiation;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium (IGARSS), 2012 IEEE International

Conference_Location

Munich

ISSN

2153-6996

Print_ISBN

978-1-4673-1160-1

Electronic_ISBN

2153-6996

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/IGARSS.2012.6351203

Filename

6351203