Urban monitoring using TerraSAR-X SAR data

After launching of TerraSAR-X, space-borne SAR image with high spatial resolution of 1–2 meter is considered as one of important data source for modelling and monitoring of urban areas. The buildings in urban regions are important infrastructures to characterize SAR backscatter and interferometric phase in SAR interferometry. The shadow and layover are more prominent in urban areas due to building structure (Figure 1). The InSAR phase in layover regions at buildings shows the typical shape referred as “front-proch” shape (Burkhart, 1996). After detecting some of meaningful phase signal related with building height in layover regions, interferometric phase analysis at building location was investigated by Thiele et al. (2007a and 2007b). To increase our understanding on interferometric phase of building structure we used seven spotlight mode TerraSAR-X SAR data and LIDAR DSM over Daejeon city. Using LIDAR DSM and TerraSAR-X sensor parameters including satellite positions, range/azimuth resolution, sensor´s wavelength, etc., interferometric phase and amplitude image were simulated from the new algorithm for high resolution DSM and SAR system proposed by Kim and Yoon (2010) as well as conventional software of GAMMA. For change detection, phase profile signal constructed from LIDAR DSM was subtracted from real interferometric phase in TerraSAR-X interferogram (Figure 2). The performance comparison in terms of the accuracy of change detection in urban area will be addressed through the analysis of the TerraSAR-Xs differential interferograms.