Improved three-stage inversion process for forest height inversion with PolInSAR data

Three-stage inversion process is one of the most frequently used methods with PolInSAR data for extracting forest heights. According to this method, forest heights and ground topography can be extracted based on interferometric coherence using a random volume over ground model. In this paper, a coherence value estimation method with adaptive averaging window derived from coherence region shape parameters is presented to improve the accuracy of complex coherence estimate. Moreover, coherence region boundary extraction algorithm is applied to resolve the ambiguity estimation problem of volume decorrelation. Finally, the proposed algorithm is validated by simulated PolInSAR data for canopy simulated by PolInSAR data simulator of PolSARpro software developed by ESA (European Space Agency).