Title
Polarimetric PALSAR Calibration
Abstract
Polarimetric Phased-Array-type L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (PALSAR) system parameters are assessed using data sets collected over several calibration sites. The data collected over the Amazonian rain forest help validate the hypothesis that Faraday rotation is zero near the equator. The analysis of the Amazonian forest data and the response of the corner reflectors deployed there during the PALSAR acquisitions lead to the conclusion that the antenna is highly isolated (better than -35 dB). These results are confirmed using the data collected over calibration sites located in Sweden and Canada. The 5-m-height corner reflector deployed at the Remningstorp (Sweden) calibration site by Chalmers University of Technology provides accurate measurement of antenna parameters and detection of a (2deg -3deg) Faraday rotation during day-time acquisitions, whereas no Faraday rotation was noted during night-time acquisitions. Small Faraday rotation angles (2deg-3deg) have been measured using acquisitions over the DLR Oberpfaffenhofen and the Ottawa calibration sites. The presence of small but still significant Faraday rotation (2deg-3deg) induces a corner reflector return at the cross-polarization HV and VH that should not be interpreted as the actual antenna crosstalk. These results show that the PALSAR antenna is highly isolated (better than -35 dB), and diagonal antenna distortion matrices (with zero crosstalk terms) can be used for accurate calibration of PALSAR polarimetric data.
Year
DOI
Venue
2009
10.1109/TGRS.2009.2032176
Geoscience and Remote Sensing, IEEE Transactions
Keywords
Field
DocType
Faraday effect,calibration,radar polarimetry,remote sensing by radar,synthetic aperture radar,Amazonian rain forest,Canada,DLR Oberpfaffenhofen,Faraday rotation,Ottawa,Phased-Array-type L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar,Polarimetric PALSAR calibration,Remningstorp,Sweden,Antenna gain,calibration,polarimetric radar,synthetic aperture radar (SAR)
Faraday effect,Radar,Polarimetry,Antenna gain,Corner reflector,Synthetic aperture radar,Remote sensing,Polarization (waves),Calibration,Mathematics
Journal
Volume
Issue
ISSN
47
12
0196-2892
Citations 
PageRank 
References 
20
1.13
9
Authors
2
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
Ridha Touzi121425.43
M. Shimada2795145.65