RADARSAT-2 Beam Mode Selection for Surface Water and Flooded Vegetation Mapping

Abstract Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) is well known for its ability to map surface water. There are a number of SAR satellites providing data for this application including the Canadian RADARSAT-2 system. RADARSAT-2 has a wide range of beam modes and some users may be intimidated by the variety of choices and have a difficult time deciding on the most appropriate beam mode. This technical note addresses some issues behind beam mode and polarization selection for surface water mapping with RADARSAT-2 and the upcoming RADARSAT Constellation Mission (RCM). This includes the impacts of resolution, wind effects, and the best mode for flooded vegetation detection. The results show that high resolution modes like the single polarized Spotlight are best for accurately delineating the surface water edge and small patches of flooded terrain. The addition of the cross-polarization available in other beam modes can provide useful surface water information in windy or rough surface conditions because there is little effect on the RADAR backscatter compared to the HH single polarization. For accurately delineating flooded vegetation, a polarimetric or compact polarimetric mode is best because the phase is maintained, which allows the user to apply polarimetric decompositions models to help separate the RADAR backscatter.

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