"Vegetation Penetration" with K-Band Imaging Radars

Analyses of microwave data from previous investigations have shown that radar signal return at Ka-band frequencies is sensitive to variations in the densities of plant communities, while the effective penetration of the vegetation is insignificant. However, data analysis in this study suggests that for defoliated vegetation, the penetrative effects of Ka-band radar energy can be recognized on the imagery format. Boundaries may be defined on the radar imagery that are directly related to differences in soil moisture content, irrespective of either the vegetation type or density. Use is made of the depolarized return signal to distinguish between differences due to soil moisture and gross vegetation differences, thus providing a practical advantage for a multipolarization mode.