Performance of Stereoradargrammetric Methods Applied to Spaceborne Monostatic-Bistatic Synthetic Aperture Radar

• Published in: IEEE transactions on geoscience and remote sensing Vol. 47; no. 2; pp. 544 - 560
• Main Authors: Renga, A., Moccia, A.
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY IEEE 01.02.2009; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Applied geophysics; Azimuth; Bistatic radar; Bistatic synthetic aperture radar (SAR); Digital elevation models; digital elevation models (DEMs); Earth; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Exact sciences and technology; Image reconstruction; Internal geophysics; Radar antennas; Receiving antennas; spaceborne monostatic-bistatic stereoradargrammetry; Spaceborne radar; Synthetic aperture radar; Transmitting antennas; Bistatic synthetic aperture radar (SAR); digital elevation models (DEMs); spaceborne monostatic-bistatic stereoradargrammetry; antenna; sensitivity analysis; interferometry; Space remote sensing; digital elevation models; accuracy; exhibits; baseline; geometry; relief; stereoscopy; performances; errors; Synthetic aperture radar
• ISSN: 0196-2892; 1558-0644
• DOI: 10.1109/TGRS.2008.2003184

This paper aims to investigate the performance of stereoradargrammetric methods applied to spaceborne monostatic-bistatic synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data for digital elevation model (DEM) generation. Stereoradargrammetric techniques for robust DEM generation were successfully experienced on monostatic repeat-pass SIR-A, SIR-B, SIR-C/X-SAR, ERS1/2, JERS-1, and Radarsat data. However, novel configurations achievable by modern spacecraft flying in formation will allow for the attainment of very large baselines between the antennas in a single-pass bistatic geometry so that the height determination accuracy can benefit from both stereo effect and simultaneous acquisition. Five models for relief reconstruction by monostatic-bistatic SAR stereoradargrammetry are presented, and an error budget is assessed for each of them. Results of the sensitivity analysis exhibit metric accuracy, and therefore, the technique could be applied for height reconstruction as a methodology complementary to SAR interferometry.