Fusion of Urban TanDEM-X raw DEMs using variational models

Recently, a new global Digital Elevation Model (DEM) with pixel spacing of 0.4 arcseconds and relative height accuracy finer than 2m for flat areas (slopes 20%) was created through the TanDEM-X mission. One important step of the chain of global DEM generation is to mosaic and fuse multiple raw DEM tiles to reach the target height accuracy. Currently, Weighted Averaging (WA) is applied as a fast and simple method for TanDEM-X raw DEM fusion in which the weights are computed from height error maps delivered from the Interferometric TanDEM-X Processor (ITP). However, evaluations show that WA is not the perfect DEM fusion method for urban areas especially in confrontation with edges such as building outlines. The main focus of this paper is to investigate more advanced variational approaches such as TV-L1 and Huber models. Furthermore, we also assess the performance of variational models for fusing raw DEMs produced from data takes with different baseline configurations and height of ambiguities. The results illustrate the high efficiency of variational models for TanDEM-X raw DEM fusion in comparison to WA. Using variational models could improve the DEM quality by up to 2m particularly in inner-city subsets.Comment: This is the pre-acceptance version, to read the final version, please go to IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing on IEEE Xplor

Multi-frequency observations and spectral analysis of two gigahertz-peaked spectra pulsars

We report the multi-frequency observations of two pulsars: J1740+1000 and B1800-21, using the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope and the Green Bank Telescope. The main aim of these observations was to estimate the flux density spectrum of these pulsars, as both of them were previously reported to exhibit gigahertz-peaked spectra. J1740+1000 is a young pulsar far from the Galactic plane and the interpretation of its spectrum was inconclusive in the light of the recent flux density measurements. Our result supports the gigahertz-peaked interpretation of the PSR J1740+1000 spectrum. B1800-21 is a Vela-like pulsar near the W30 complex, whose spectrum exhibit a significant change between 2012 and 2014 year. Our analysis shows that the current shape of the spectrum is similar to that observed before 2009 and confirms that the observed spectral change happen in a time-scale of a few years.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figure

Advanced InSAR atmospheric correction: MERIS/MODIS combination and stacked water vapour models

A major source of error for repeat-pass Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) is the phase delay in radio signal propagation through the atmosphere (especially the part due to tropospheric water vapour). Based on experience with the Global Positioning System (GPS)/Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) integrated model and the Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) correction model, two new advanced InSAR water vapour correction models are demonstrated using both MERIS and MODIS data: (1) the MERIS/MODIS combination correction model (MMCC); and (2) the MERIS/MODIS stacked correction model (MMSC). The applications of both the MMCC and MMSC models to ENVISAT Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (ASAR) data over the Southern California Integrated GPS Network (SCIGN) region showed a significant reduction in water vapour effects on ASAR interferograms, with the root mean square (RMS) differences between GPS- and InSAR-derived range changes in the line-of-sight (LOS) direction decreasing from ,10mm before correction to ,5mm after correction, which is similar to the GPS/MODIS integrated and MERIS correction models. It is expected that these two advanced water vapour correction models can expand the application of MERIS and MODIS data for InSAR atmospheric correction. A simple but effective approach has been developed to destripe Terra MODIS images contaminated by radiometric calibration errors. Another two limiting factors on the MMCC and MMSC models have also been investigated in this paper: (1) the impact of the time difference between MODIS and SAR data; and (2) the frequency of cloud-free conditions at the global scale

Flux density measurements of GPS candidate pulsars at 610 MHz using interferometric imaging technique

We conducted radio interferometric observations of six pulsars at 610 MHz using the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT). All these objects were claimed or suspected to be the gigahertz-peaked spectra (GPS) pulsars. For a half of the sources in our sample the interferometric imaging provides the only means to estimate their flux at 610 MHz due to a strong pulse scatter-broadening. In our case, these pulsars have very high dispersion measure values and we present their spectra containing for the first time low-frequency measurements. The remaining three pulsars were observed at low frequencies using the conventional pulsar flux measurement method. The interferometric imaging technique allowed us to re-examine their fluxes at 610 MHz. We were able to confirm the GPS feature in the PSR B1823$-$13 spectrum and select a GPS candidate pulsar. These results clearly demonstrate that the interferometric imaging technique can be successfully applied to estimate flux density of pulsars even in the presence of strong scattering.Comment: 7 pages, 3 tables, 5 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA

Image fusion techniqes for remote sensing applications

Image fusion refers to the acquisition, processing and synergistic combination of information provided by various sensors or by the same sensor in many measuring contexts. The aim of this survey paper is to describe three typical applications of data fusion in remote sensing. The first study case considers the problem of the Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Interferometry, where a pair of antennas are used to obtain an elevation map of the observed scene; the second one refers to the fusion of multisensor and multitemporal (Landsat Thematic Mapper and SAR) images of the same site acquired at different times, by using neural networks; the third one presents a processor to fuse multifrequency, multipolarization and mutiresolution SAR images, based on wavelet transform and multiscale Kalman filter. Each study case presents also results achieved by the proposed techniques applied to real data

Refined estimation of time-varying baseline errors in airborne SAR interferometry

The processing of airborne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data requires a precise compensation of the deviations of the platform movement from a straight line. This is usually carried out by recording the trajectory with a high-precision navigation system and correcting them during SAR focusing. However, due to the lack of accuracy in current navigation systems, residual motion errors persist in the images. Such residual motion errors are mainly noticeable in repeat-pass systems, where they are causing time-varying baseline errors, visible as artefacts in the derived phase maps. In this letter, a refined method for the estimation of time-varying baseline errors is presented. An improved multisquint processing approach is used for obtaining robust estimates of higher order baseline errors over the entire scene, even if parts of the scene are heavily decorrelated. In a subsequent step, the proposed method incorporates an external digital elevation model for detection of linear and constant components of the baseline error along azimuth. Calibration targets in the scene are not necessary.Peer Reviewe

Estimation of change in forest variables using synthetic aperture radar

Large scale mapping of changes in forest variables is needed for both environmental monitoring, planning of climate actions and sustainable forest management. Remote sensing can be used in conjunction with field data to produce wall-to-wall estimates that are practically impossible to produce using traditional field surveys. Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) can observe the forest independent of sunlight, clouds, snow, or rain, providing reliable high frequency coverage. Its wavelength determines the interaction with the forest, where longer wavelengths interact with larger structures of the trees, and shorter wavelengths interact mainly with the top part of the canopy, meaning that it can be chosen to fit specific applications. This thesis contains five studies conducted on the Remningstorp test site in southern Sweden. Studies I – III predicted above ground biomass (AGB) change using long wavelength polarimetric P- (in I) and L-band (in I – III) SAR data. The differences between the bands were small in terms of prediction quality, and the HV polarization, just as for AGB state prediction, was the polarization channel most correlated with AGB change. A moisture correction for L-band data was proposed and evaluated, and it was found that certain polarimetric measures were better for predicting AGB change than all of the polarization channels together. Study IV assessed the detectability of silvicultural treatments in short wavelength TanDEM-X interferometric phase heights. In line with earlier studies, only clear cuts were unambiguously distinguishable. Study V predicted site index and stand age by fitting height development curves to time series of TanDEM-X data. Site index and age were unbiasedly predicted for untreated plots, and the RMSE would likely decrease with longer time series. When stand age was known, SI was predicted with an RMSE comparable to that of the field based measurements. In conclusion, this thesis underscores SAR data's potential for generalizable methods for estimation of forest variable changes