Noise-residue filtering of interferometric phase images.

The effect of noise-induced phase inconsistency on interferometric phase information content is studied. Phase inconsistencies, or residues, hinder a correct unwrapping of the phase signal. The probability of noise-induced phase inconsistencies is obtained as a function of the signal-to-noise ratio. Moreover, a two-dimensional noise-residue filter, intended to be applied as a preprocessing step before phase unwrapping, is proposed. The method is based on the observation that the noise creates adjacent phase inconsistencies mainly in interferometric phase images. A local analysis leads to a set of rules to be applied to reduce noise-induced phase inconsistencies. The filter performances are tested on noisy synthetic and real phase data.

[1]  Dario Tarchi,et al.  SAR interferometry for structural changes detection: a demonstration test on a dam , 1999, IEEE 1999 International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium. IGARSS'99 (Cat. No.99CH36293).

[2]  Joseph M. Kahn,et al.  Exact probability-density function for phase-measurement interferometry , 1995 .

[3]  S. Quegan,et al.  A statistical description of polarimetric and interferometric synthetic aperture radar data , 1995, Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series A: Mathematical and Physical Sciences.

[4]  C. Werner,et al.  Satellite radar interferometry: Two-dimensional phase unwrapping , 1988 .

[5]  Mark D. Pritt,et al.  Phase unwrapping by means of multigrid techniques for interferometric SAR , 1996, IEEE Trans. Geosci. Remote. Sens..

[6]  Joseph M. Francos,et al.  Model based phase unwrapping of 2-D signals , 1996, IEEE Trans. Signal Process..

[7]  Kostas Papathanassiou,et al.  A new technique for noise filtering of SAR interferogram phase images , 1997, IGARSS'97. 1997 IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium Proceedings. Remote Sensing - A Scientific Vision for Sustainable Development.

[8]  C. Rathjen,et al.  Statistical properties of phase-shift algorithms , 1995 .

[9]  Robert S. Wilson,et al.  Prelaunch calibrations of the Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission and Earth Observing System morning (EOS-AM1) spacecraft thermistor bolometer sensors , 1998, IEEE Trans. Geosci. Remote. Sens..

[10]  C. Werner,et al.  Radar interferogram filtering for geophysical applications , 1998 .

[11]  H A Zebker,et al.  Phase unwrapping through fringe-line detection in synthetic aperture radar interferometry. , 1994, Applied optics.

[12]  R Cusack,et al.  Improved noise-immune phase-unwrapping algorithm. , 1995, Applied optics.

[13]  D J Bone,et al.  Fourier fringe analysis: the two-dimensional phase unwrapping problem. , 1991, Applied optics.

[14]  R. Bamler,et al.  Phase statistics of interferograms with applications to synthetic aperture radar. , 1994, Applied optics.

[15]  K Itoh,et al.  Analysis of the phase unwrapping algorithm. , 1982, Applied optics.

[16]  Richard Bamler,et al.  Noise-induced slope distortion in 2-D phase unwrapping by linear estimators with application to SAR interferometry , 1998, IEEE Trans. Geosci. Remote. Sens..

[17]  S Stramaglia,et al.  New regularization scheme for phase unwrapping. , 1998, Applied optics.

[18]  I W Hunter,et al.  Robust phase-unwrapping method for phase images with high noise content. , 1996, Applied optics.

[19]  N. Adam,et al.  Comparison of phase unwrapping algorithms for SAR interferograms , 1995, 1995 International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium, IGARSS '95. Quantitative Remote Sensing for Science and Applications.