Study of the speckle noise effects over the eigen decomposition of polarimetric SAR data: a review

This paper is focused on considering the effects of speckle noise on the eigen decomposition of the co- herency matrix. Based on a perturbation analysis of the matrix, it is possible to obtain an analytical expression for the mean value of the eigenvalues and the eigenvectors, as well as for the Entropy, the Anisotroopy and the dif- ferent a angles. The analytical expressions are compared against simulated polarimetric SAR data, demonstrating the correctness of the different expressions.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

3D Remote Sensing Applications in Forest Ecology: Composition, Structure and Function

Dear Colleagues, The composition, structure and function of forest ecosystems are the key features characterizing their ecological properties, and can thus be crucially shaped and changed by various biotic and abiotic factors on multiple spatial scales. The magnitude and extent of these changes in recent decades calls for enhanced mitigation and adaption measures. Remote sensing data and methods are the main complementary sources of up-to-date synoptic and objective information of forest ecology. Due to the inherent 3D nature of forest ecosystems, the analysis of 3D sources of remote sensing data is considered to be most appropriate for recreating the forest’s compositional, structural and functional dynamics. In this Special Issue of Forests, we published a set of state-of-the-art scientific works including experimental studies, methodological developments and model validations, all dealing with the general topic of 3D remote sensing-assisted applications in forest ecology. We showed applications in forest ecology from a broad collection of method and sensor combinations, including fusion schemes. All in all, the studies and their focuses are as broad as a forest’s ecology or the field of remote sensing and, thus, reflect the very diverse usages and directions toward which future research and practice will be directed

Radar satellite imagery for humanitarian response. Bridging the gap between technology and application

This work deals with radar satellite imagery and its potential to assist of humanitarian operations. As the number of displaced people annually increases, both hosting countries and relief organizations face new challenges which are often related to unclear situations and lack of information on the number and location of people in need, as well as their environments. It was demonstrated in numerous studies that methods of earth observation can deliver this important information for the management of crises, the organization of refugee camps, and the mapping of environmental resources and natural hazards. However, most of these studies make use of -high-resolution optical imagery, while the role of radar satellites is widely neglected. At the same time, radar sensors have characteristics which make them highly suitable for humanitarian response, their potential to capture images through cloud cover and at night in the first place. Consequently, they potentially allow quicker response in cases of emergencies than optical imagery. This work demonstrates the currently unused potential of radar imagery for the assistance of humanitarian operations by case studies which cover the information needs of specific emergency situations. They are thematically grouped into topics related to population, natural hazards and the environment. Furthermore, the case studies address different levels of scientific objectives: The main intention is the development of innovative techniques of digital image processing and geospatial analysis as an answer on the identified existing research gaps. For this reason, novel approaches are presented on the mapping of refugee camps and urban areas, the allocation of biomass and environmental impact assessment. Secondly, existing methods developed for radar imagery are applied, refined, or adapted to specifically demonstrate their benefit in a humanitarian context. This is done for the monitoring of camp growth, the assessment of damages in cities affected by civil war, and the derivation of areas vulnerable to flooding or sea-surface changes. Lastly, to foster the integration of radar images into existing operational workflows of humanitarian data analysis, technically simple and easily-adaptable approaches are suggested for the mapping of rural areas for vaccination campaigns, the identification of changes within and around refugee camps, and the assessment of suitable locations for groundwater drillings. While the studies provide different levels of technical complexity and novelty, they all show that radar imagery can largely contribute to the provision of a variety of information which is required to make solid decisions and to effectively provide help in humanitarian operations. This work furthermore demonstrates that radar images are more than just an alternative image source for areas heavily affected by cloud cover. In fact, what makes them valuable is their information content regarding the characteristics of surfaces, such as shape, orientation, roughness, size, height, moisture, or conductivity. All these give decisive insights about man-made and natural environments in emergency situations and cannot be provided by optical images Finally, the findings of the case studies are put into a larger context, discussing the observed potential and limitations of the presented approaches. The major challenges are summarized which need be addressed to make radar imagery more useful in humanitarian operations in the context of upcoming technical developments. New radar satellites and technological progress in the fields of machine learning and cloud computing will bring new opportunities. At the same time, this work demonstrated the large need for further research, as well as for the collaboration and transfer of knowledge and experiences between scientists, users and relief workers in the field. It is the first extensive scientific compilation of this topic and the first step for a sustainable integration of radar imagery into operational frameworks to assist humanitarian work and to contribute to a more efficient provision of help to those in need.Die vorliegende Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit bildgebenden Radarsatelliten und ihrem potenziellen Beitrag zur Unterstützung humanitärer Einsätze. Die jährlich zunehmende Zahl an vertriebenen oder geflüchteten Menschen stellt sowohl Aufnahmeländer als auch humanitäre Organisationen vor große Herausforderungen, da sie oft mit unübersichtlichen Verhältnissen konfrontiert sind. Effektives Krisenmanagement, die Planung und Versorgung von Flüchtlingslagern, sowie der Schutz der betroffenen Menschen erfordern jedoch verlässliche Angaben über Anzahl und Aufenthaltsort der Geflüchteten und ihrer natürlichen Umwelt. Die Bereitstellung dieser Informationen durch Satellitenbilder wurde bereits in zahlreichen Studien aufgezeigt. Sie beruhen in der Regel auf hochaufgelösten optischen Aufnahmen, während bildgebende Radarsatelliten bisher kaum Anwendung finden. Dabei verfügen gerade Radarsatelliten über Eigenschaften, die hilfreich für humanitäre Einsätze sein können, allen voran ihre Unabhängigkeit von Bewölkung oder Tageslicht. Dadurch ermöglichen sie in Krisenfällen verglichen mit optischen Satelliten eine schnellere Reaktion. Diese Arbeit zeigt das derzeit noch ungenutzte Potenzial von Radardaten zur Unterstützung humanitärer Arbeit anhand von Fallstudien auf, in denen konkrete Informationen für ausgewählte Krisensituationen bereitgestellt werden. Sie sind in die Themenbereiche Bevölkerung, Naturgefahren und Ressourcen aufgeteilt, adressieren jedoch unterschiedliche wissenschaftliche Ansprüche: Der Hauptfokus der Arbeit liegt auf der Entwicklung von innovativen Methoden zur Verarbeitung von Radarbildern und räumlichen Daten als Antwort auf den identifizierten Forschungsbedarf in diesem Gebiet. Dies wird anhand der Kartierung von Flüchtlingslagern zur Abschätzung ihrer Bevölkerung, zur Bestimmung von Biomasse, sowie zur Ermittlung des Umwelteinflusses von Flüchtlingslagern aufgezeigt. Darüber hinaus werden existierende oder erprobte Ansätze für die Anwendung im humanitären Kontext angepasst oder weiterentwickelt. Dies erfolgt im Rahmen von Fallstudien zur Dynamik von Flüchtlingslagern, zur Ermittlung von Schäden an Gebäuden in Kriegsgebieten, sowie zur Erkennung von Risiken durch Überflutung. Zuletzt soll die Integration von Radardaten in bereits existierende Abläufe oder Arbeitsroutinen in der humanitären Hilfe anhand technisch vergleichsweise einfacher Ansätze vorgestellt und angeregt werden. Als Beispiele dienen hier die radargestützte Kartierung von entlegenen Gebieten zur Unterstützung von Impfkampagnen, die Identifizierung von Veränderungen in Flüchtlingslagern, sowie die Auswahl geeigneter Standorte zur Grundwasserentnahme. Obwohl sich die Fallstudien hinsichtlich ihres Innovations- und Komplexitätsgrads unterscheiden, zeigen sie alle den Mehrwert von Radardaten für die Bereitstellung von Informationen, um schnelle und fundierte Planungsentscheidungen zu unterstützen. Darüber hinaus wird in dieser Arbeit deutlich, dass Radardaten für humanitäre Zwecke mehr als nur eine Alternative in stark bewölkten Gebieten sind. Durch ihren Informationsgehalt zur Beschaffenheit von Oberflächen, beispielsweise hinsichtlich ihrer Rauigkeit, Feuchte, Form, Größe oder Höhe, sind sie optischen Daten überlegen und daher für viele Anwendungsbereiche im Kontext humanitärer Arbeit besonders. Die in den Fallstudien gewonnenen Erkenntnisse werden abschließend vor dem Hintergrund von Vor- und Nachteilen von Radardaten, sowie hinsichtlich zukünftiger Entwicklungen und Herausforderungen diskutiert. So versprechen neue Radarsatelliten und technologische Fortschritte im Bereich der Datenverarbeitung großes Potenzial. Gleichzeitig unterstreicht die Arbeit einen großen Bedarf an weiterer Forschung, sowie an Austausch und Zusammenarbeit zwischen Wissenschaftlern, Anwendern und Einsatzkräften vor Ort. Die vorliegende Arbeit ist die erste umfassende Darstellung und wissenschaftliche Aufarbeitung dieses Themenkomplexes. Sie soll als Grundstein für eine langfristige Integration von Radardaten in operationelle Abläufe dienen, um humanitäre Arbeit zu unterstützen und eine wirksame Hilfe für Menschen in Not ermöglichen

ALOS-2/PALSAR-2 Calibration, Validation, Science and Applications

Twelve edited original papers on the latest and state-of-art results of topics ranging from calibration, validation, and science to a wide range of applications using ALOS-2/PALSAR-2. We hope you will find them useful for your future research

Earth Resources: A continuing bibliography, with indexes, issue 31

This bibliography lists 505 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system. Emphasis is placed on the use of remote sensing and geophysical instrumentation in spacecraft and aircraft to survey and inventory natural resources and urban areas. Subject matter is grouped according to agriculture and forestry, environmental changes and cultural resources, geodesy and cartography, geology and mineral resources, hydrology and water management, data processing and distribution systems, instrumentation and sensors, and economic analysis

Novel Approaches in Landslide Monitoring and Data Analysis

Significant progress has been made in the last few years that has expanded the knowledge of landslide processes. It is, therefore, necessary to summarize, share and disseminate the latest knowledge and expertise. This Special Issue brings together novel research focused on landslide monitoring, modelling and data analysis

Sustainable agriculture and rural development in terms of the republic of Serbia strategic goals realization within the Danube region. Achieving regional competitiveness

International Scientific Conference „SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN TERMS OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA STRATEGIC GOALS REALIZATION WITHIN THE DANUBE REGION -achieving regional competitiveness“, which was held in period 5-7th December 2013 in Topola, the Republic of Serbia, through number of presented papers mainly provides an overview of results of scientific research on the integrated and interdisciplinary project no. III 46006 „SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN TERMS OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA STRATEGIC GOALS REALIZATION WITHIN THE DANUBE REGION“. International Scientific Conference „SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN TERMS OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA STRATEGIC GOALS REALIZATION WITHIN THE DANUBE REGION - achieving regional competitiveness“, gathered number of scientific workers and experts from many countries. Besides the authors from Serbia in Thematic Proceedings are also presented the papers of authors from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Romania, Russia, Moldova, Slovakia, Ukraine, Germany, the Netherlands, Japan and Austria. After all 92 papers were positively reviewed by the reviewers and presented on the International Scientific Conference, they were published in the Thematic Proceedings. Proceedings publisher was Institute of Agricultural Economics Belgrade, together with 34 eminent scientific-educational institutions from Serbia and abroad. In the Plenary Section were presented 3 papers which gave significant contributions to International Scientific Conference. Rest of the papers are systematized in 3 thematic sections: IKNOWLEDGE ECONOMY AND HUMAN CAPITAL IN THE FUNCTION OF IMPROVING REGIONAL COMPETITIVENESS (45 papers); II BIOREGIONALISM AND PERMACULTURE AS A CONCEPTS OF CONSERVATION OF ECOLOGICAL SPECIFICITIES OF RURAL AREAS (27 papers); III THE CONSTRUCTION OF AGRO-REGIONAL IDENTITY THROUGH INSTITUTIONAL REFORM (17 papers)

Sustainable agriculture and rural development in terms of the republic of Serbia strategic goals realization within the Danube region. Achieving regional competitiveness

International Scientific Conference „SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN TERMS OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA STRATEGIC GOALS REALIZATION WITHIN THE DANUBE REGION -achieving regional competitiveness“, which was held in period 5-7th December 2013 in Topola, the Republic of Serbia, through number of presented papers mainly provides an overview of results of scientific research on the integrated and interdisciplinary project no. III 46006 „SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN TERMS OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA STRATEGIC GOALS REALIZATION WITHIN THE DANUBE REGION“. International Scientific Conference „SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN TERMS OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA STRATEGIC GOALS REALIZATION WITHIN THE DANUBE REGION - achieving regional competitiveness“, gathered number of scientific workers and experts from many countries. Besides the authors from Serbia in Thematic Proceedings are also presented the papers of authors from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Romania, Russia, Moldova, Slovakia, Ukraine, Germany, the Netherlands, Japan and Austria. After all 92 papers were positively reviewed by the reviewers and presented on the International Scientific Conference, they were published in the Thematic Proceedings. Proceedings publisher was Institute of Agricultural Economics Belgrade, together with 34 eminent scientific-educational institutions from Serbia and abroad. In the Plenary Section were presented 3 papers which gave significant contributions to International Scientific Conference. Rest of the papers are systematized in 3 thematic sections: IKNOWLEDGE ECONOMY AND HUMAN CAPITAL IN THE FUNCTION OF IMPROVING REGIONAL COMPETITIVENESS (45 papers); II BIOREGIONALISM AND PERMACULTURE AS A CONCEPTS OF CONSERVATION OF ECOLOGICAL SPECIFICITIES OF RURAL AREAS (27 papers); III THE CONSTRUCTION OF AGRO-REGIONAL IDENTITY THROUGH INSTITUTIONAL REFORM (17 papers)