Dependence of Waterline Mapping on Radar Frequency Used for SAR Images in Intertidal Areas

Author

Kim, Duk-Jin ; Moon, Wooil M. ; Park, Sang-Eun ; Kim, Ji-Eun ; Lee, Hyo-Sung

Author_Institution

Geophys. Dept., Manitoba Univ., Winnipeg, Man.

Volume

4

Issue

2

fYear

2007

fDate

4/1/2007 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

269

Lastpage

273

Abstract

Waterline detection in the intertidal areas was investigated through synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images and field measurements. Two valuable facts were found in this letter: 1) A discrepancy of waterlines between L- and P-band airborne SAR images was discovered and investigated through precise global positioning system measurements and the theory of the SAR imaging mechanism. In the intertidal areas having low slopes, the Bragg waves resonant with the radar signal can reside in different depths depending on the radar frequency, with the result that the boundary between water and land can be mapped differently in the respective SAR images. 2) Intertidal areas covered with a water film present low radar backscatter in SAR images, which can cause mislocation of waterlines

Keywords

Global Positioning System; airborne radar; backscatter; radar imaging; remote sensing by radar; synthetic aperture radar; terrain mapping; Bragg waves; L-band airborne SAR; P-band airborne SAR; SAR images; global positioning system; intertidal areas; intertidal flat; radar backscatter; radar frequency; radar signal; synthetic aperture radar images; waterline detection; waterline mapping; Frequency; Geophysics; Geoscience; Monitoring; Moon; Radar detection; Radar imaging; Sea measurements; Spaceborne radar; Synthetic aperture radar; Intertidal flat; radar frequency; synthetic aperture radar (SAR); waterline;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Geoscience and Remote Sensing Letters, IEEE

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

1545-598X

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/LGRS.2006.888843

Filename

4156160