Envisat: Kalibrierung des Radarinstrumentes ASAR und Validierung seiner Daten

• Research unit: SER
• Project number: 3600.308 Envisat Satellit

Key words (German)

ESA, ENVISAT, Erdbeobachtung, ASAR, GAMMA, Landnutzungskartierung

Short description (German)

Entwicklung von Verarbeitungstechniken für die neuartigen Abbildungsmodi (Einfallswinkel, Polarisation, Auflösung) des Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radars ASAR; Validierung dieser Techniken durch Vergleich mit ERS SAR Datensätzen; Entwicklung von neuen Anwendungen im Bereich der radargestützten Landnutzungskartierung durch Informationsextraktion/Datenveredelung.

Project aims (German)

- Softwareanpassung
- Methodologietransfer bei Prozessierungstechnik und Dateninterpretation
- Entwicklung von neuen Methoden und Anwendungen auf der Basis der neuen Abbildungsmodi und ihren Kombinationen
- Evaluation und Vergleich von bestehenden (ERS) und neuen Anwendungen und Datensätzen

Abstract (English)

As part of the Envisat Calibration/Validation project methodologies and tools from ERS SAR were successfully adapted to Envisat ASAR. This includes adaptations of the GAMMA software, the transfer of existing methodologies, as well as the development of new ones. Quality checks were conducted for important steps. It was shown that Geocoding of Envisat ASAR images with GAMMA software is operational and conforming to the standards. New methodologies were developed/tested for multipolarization and multi-incidence angle data ; the latter included also radargrammetry as a technique to generate DEM. New possibilities have been opened for landuse / landcover mapping and in applications related to agriculture and hydrology.

Transfer and application (English)

A wide range of applications of ASAR data is now open for exploitation on an operational and routine as well as on an experimental basis. GAMMA alone is already involved in five projects in this field. However, it has to be understood that the quality of the application must be continuously monitored in order to ensure its robustness under different conditions. The huge potential for interferometric applications will strongly depend on the sensor operation strategy.