Simulation of interfrometric SAR response to rough surfaces covered with a dielectric layer

A feasibility study is carried out to demonstrate the application of repeat-pass interferometry in retrieving snowpack parameters. The premise of the proposed method is based on the expected decorrelation of backscatter fields from a snow-covered rough surface as the snow layer thickness increases. Forward scattering models are developed to examine the change in the backscattering coefficient and the coherence between the scattered fields from a rough surface with and without a dielectric layer. An analytical model based on perturbation analysis and a numerical model based on the method of moments in conjunction with Monte Carlo simulations are used to perform a sensitivity analysis