Segmentation and Classification of Polarimetric SAR Data based on the KummerU Distribution

International audienceThinner spatial features can be observed from the high resolution of newly available spaceborne and airborne SAR images. Heterogeneous clutter models should be used to model the covariance matrix because each resolution cell contains only a small number of scatterers. In this paper, we focus on the use of a Fisher probability density function (pdf) to model the SAR clutter. First, the benefit of using such a pdf is exposed. Covariance matrix statistics are then analyzed in details. For a Fisher distributed texture, the covariance matrix follows a KummerU pdf. Asymptotic cases of this pdf are presented. Finally, the KummerU pdf is implemented in both hierarchical segmentation and classification algorithms. Segmentation and classification results are shown on both synthetic and real data

Segmentation and Classification of Polarimetric SAR Data based on the KummerU Distribution

International audienceThinner spatial features can be observed from the high resolution of newly available spaceborne and airborne SAR images. Heterogeneous clutter models should be used to model the covariance matrix because each resolution cell contains only a small number of scatterers. In this paper, we focus on the use of a Fisher probability density function (pdf) to model the SAR clutter. First, the benefit of using such a pdf is exposed. Covariance matrix statistics are then analyzed in details. For a Fisher distributed texture, the covariance matrix follows a KummerU pdf. Asymptotic cases of this pdf are presented. Finally, the KummerU pdf is implemented in both hierarchical segmentation and classification algorithms. Segmentation and classification results are shown on both synthetic and real data

Glacier flow monitoring by digital camera and space-borne SAR images

International audienceMost of the image processing techniques have been first proposed and developed on small size images and progressively applied to larger and larger data sets resulting from new sensors and application requirements. In geosciences, digital cameras and remote sensing images can be used to monitor glaciers and to measure their surface velocity by different techniques. However, the image size and the number of acquisitions to be processed to analyze time series become a critical issue to derive displacement fields by the conventional correlation technique. In this paper, an efficient correlation software is used to compute from optical images the motion of a serac fall and from Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images the motion of Alpine glaciers. The optical images are acquired by a digital camera installed near the Argentière glacier (Chamonix, France) and the SAR images are acquired by the high resolution TerraSAR-X satellite over the Mont-Blanc area. The results illustrate the potential of this software to monitor the glacier flow with camera images acquired every 2 h and with the size of the TerraSAR-X scenes covering 30 × 50 km2

A first comparison of Cosmo-Skymed and TerraSAR-X data over Chamonix Mont-Blanc test-site

International audienceThis paper presents the first results obtained with satellite im- age time series (SITS) acquired by Cosmo-SkyMed (CSK) over the Chamonix Mont-Blanc test-site. A CSK SITS made of 39 images is merged with a TerraSAR-X SITS made of 26 images by using the orbital information and co-registration tools developed in the EFIDIR project. The results are illus- trated by the computation of speckle-free images by temporal averaging, by the generation and comparison of topographic interferograms and by the measure of glacier displacement fields by amplitude correlation

Monitoring temperate glaciers: combined use of multi-date TerraSAR-X images and continous GPS measurements

International audienceThis paper highlights the contribution of TerraSAR-X (TSX) High Resolution (HR) images for temperate glacier monitoring. A series of 14 images have been acquired since October 2007 on the Mont-Blanc test area. This area involves well-known temperate glaciers which have been monitored and instrumented ("stick" for annual displacement/ablation, GPS, cavitometer for basal displacement...) for more than 50 years. The combined use of in-situ measurements and multi-temporal images allows to improve the potential of HR SAR measurements. Interpretation of HR images, investigation of interferometric and correlation methods, and the first glacier displacement results are presented

Monitoring alpine glaciers by combination of heterogeneous informations : High Resolution SAR image and ground measurements

Les travaux présentés dans cette thèse concernent l’utilisation de données de télédétection inédites pour le suivi des glaciers du massif du Mont Blanc : les images radar à synthèse d’ouverture Haute Résolution (HR) du satellite TerraSAR-X et les prises de vue HR d’un appareil photo numérique automatique. Cette thèse s’attache à montrer l’apport de ces sources d’informations hétérogènes pour mesurer le déplacement de surface des glaciers alpins. Dans cette optique, un examen des méthodes de mesure de déplacement spécifiques à chacun des deux types d’images est réalisé. Deux approches sont alors explorées : la mesure de déplacement monosource dans la géométrie propre à chaque capteur et la mesure de déplacement multisource via des combinaisons intra-capteur et inter-capteur. Alors que l’approche monosource fournit uniquement des mesures 2D du déplacement, les mesures multisources permettent pour la première fois d’estimer des champs de déplacement 3D de la surface des glaciers du Mont Blanc. Les mesures ont été réalisées sur plusieurs séries temporelles d’images couvrant la période 2008-2009 pour quatre glaciers du massif du Mont Blanc (Argentière, Mer de Glace/Leschaux, Bossons et Taconnaz). Dans le contexte du changement climatique, ces mesures de déplacement de surface fournissent une donnée intéressante en glaciologie pour contraindre les modèles numériques d’écoulement et d’évolution des glaciers.The works presented in this PhD thesis focuses on the use of new remote sensing data for "massif du Mont Blanc" glaciers’ monitoring: High Resolution (HR) synthetic aperture radar images of TerraSAR-X satellite and HR shooting of the automatic digital camera. This thesis will show the contribution of this heterogeneous information to the measurement of the surface displacement of alpine glacier. For this purpose, a review of displacement measurement methods specific to each of the two types of image is proposed. Then two approaches are explored: the mono-source displacement measurement in the geometry for each sensor and the multi-source displacement measurement via intra-sensor and inter-sensor combinations. While the mono-source approach provides only 2D displacement measurements, multi-source measurements allow, for the first time, the estimation of 3D surface displacement fields of the Mont Blanc glaciers. The measurements were performed on several image time series covering the period 2008-2009 for four Mont Blanc glaciers (Argentière, Mer de Glace/Leschaux, Bossons et Taconnaz). In the context of global warming, these surface displacement measurements provide interesting data in the glaciology domain in order to constrain flow and evolution digital models

Suivi des glaciers alpins par combinaison d'informations hétérogènes : images SAR Haute Résolution et mesures terrain

The works presented in this PhD thesis focuses on the use of new remote sensing data for "massif du Mont Blanc" glaciers’ monitoring: High Resolution (HR) synthetic aperture radar images of TerraSAR-X satellite and HR shooting of the automatic digital camera. This thesis will show the contribution of this heterogeneous information to the measurement of the surface displacement of alpine glacier. For this purpose, a review of displacement measurement methods specific to each of the two types of image is proposed. Then two approaches are explored: the mono-source displacement measurement in the geometry for each sensor and the multi-source displacement measurement via intra-sensor and inter-sensor combinations. While the mono-source approach provides only 2D displacement measurements, multi-source measurements allow, for the first time, the estimation of 3D surface displacement fields of the Mont Blanc glaciers. The measurements were performed on several image time series covering the period 2008-2009 for four Mont Blanc glaciers (Argentière, Mer de Glace/Leschaux, Bossons et Taconnaz). In the context of global warming, these surface displacement measurements provide interesting data in the glaciology domain in order to constrain flow and evolution digital models.Les travaux présentés dans cette thèse concernent l’utilisation de données de télédétection inédites pour le suivi des glaciers du massif du Mont Blanc : les images radar à synthèse d’ouverture Haute Résolution (HR) du satellite TerraSAR-X et les prises de vue HR d’un appareil photo numérique automatique. Cette thèse s’attache à montrer l’apport de ces sources d’informations hétérogènes pour mesurer le déplacement de surface des glaciers alpins. Dans cette optique, un examen des méthodes de mesure de déplacement spécifiques à chacun des deux types d’images est réalisé. Deux approches sont alors explorées : la mesure de déplacement monosource dans la géométrie propre à chaque capteur et la mesure de déplacement multisource via des combinaisons intra-capteur et inter-capteur. Alors que l’approche monosource fournit uniquement des mesures 2D du déplacement, les mesures multisources permettent pour la première fois d’estimer des champs de déplacement 3D de la surface des glaciers du Mont Blanc. Les mesures ont été réalisées sur plusieurs séries temporelles d’images couvrant la période 2008-2009 pour quatre glaciers du massif du Mont Blanc (Argentière, Mer de Glace/Leschaux, Bossons et Taconnaz). Dans le contexte du changement climatique, ces mesures de déplacement de surface fournissent une donnée intéressante en glaciologie pour contraindre les modèles numériques d’écoulement et d’évolution des glaciers

Evolution of the Distribution of Upper-Tropospheric Humidity over the Indian Ocean: Connection with Large-Scale Advection and Local Cloudiness

International audienceThe spatial and temporal distribution of Upper-Tropospheric Humidity (UTH) observed by the SAPHIR/Megha-Tropiques radiometer is analyzed over two sub-regions of the Indian Ocean during October-November-December over 2011-2014. The properties of the distribution of UTH were studied regarding the phase of the Madden-Julian Oscillation (active or suppressed) and the large-scale advection vs. local production of moisture. To address these topics, first a lagrangian back-trajectory transport model was used to assess the role of the large-scale transport of air masses in the intraseasonal variability of UTH. Second, the temporal evolution of the distribution of UTH is analyzed using the computation of the higher moments of its probability distribution function (PDF) defined for each time step over the domain. Results highlight significant differences in the PDF of UTH depending on the phase of the MJO. The modeled trajectories ending in the considered domain originate from an area that strongly varies depending on the phases of the MJO: during the active phases, the air masses are spatially constrained within the tropical Indian Ocean domain, while a distinct upper tropospheric (200-150hPa) westerly flow guides the intraseasonal variability of UTH during the suppressed phases. Statistical relationships between the cloud fractions and the moments of the PDFs of UTH are found to be quite similar regardless of the convective activity. However, the occurrence of thin cirrus clouds is associated to a drying of the upper troposphere (enhanced during suppressed phases) while the occurrence of thick cirrus-anvil clouds appears to be significantly related to a moistening of the upper troposphere

La phase en imagerie cohérente : application au suréchantillonnage d'images RSO (Radar à Synthèse d'Ouverture)

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Estimating confidence intervals around relative humidity profiles from satellite observations: Application to the SAPHIR sounder

International audienceA novel scheme for the estimation of layer-averaged relative humidity (RH) profiles from space-borne observations in the 183.31GHz line is presented. Named ARPIA for Atmospheric Relative humidity Profiles Including Analysis of confidence intervals, it provides for each vector of observations the parameters of the distribution of the RH instead of its expectation as usually done by the current methods. The profiles are composed of 6 layers distributed between 100 and 950hPa. The approach combines the 6 channels of the SAPHIR instrument onboard the Megha-Tropiques satellite and the Generalized Additive Model for Location, Scale and Shape (GAMLSS) to infer the parametric distributions, assuming that they follow a Gaussian law. The knowledge of the conditional uncertainty is an asset in the evaluation using radiosounding profiles of RH with a dedicated bayesian method. Taking the uncertainties into account in both the ARPIA estimates and the in situ measurements yields to have biases, root-mean-square and correlation coefficients in the range -0.56% - 9.79%, 1.58% - 13.32% and 0.55 - 0.98 respectively, the largest biases being obtained over the continent, in the mid-tropospheric layers