P-, L- and C-band polarimetric radar measurements of coastal zone forest and other surface covers

Several synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data sets were acquired over the coastal zone of Louisiana and Mississippi, since 1978´s Seasat SAR to 1991´s NASA DC-8-borned P-, L- and C-band full polarization AIRSAR. With more than 15 years of experience on the analyses of these data sets, coastal zone surface features delineation would be most desirable to use ecologically-oriented surface covers. Those vegetation species-oriented surface covers classification may be pertinent for forest inventory and pine plantation biomass estimation, but not suitable for coastal zone environment. The author needs to take full advantage of the dynamic range of SAR data for the delineation of a variety of surface features ranging from detection of shadow-water sediments to swamp forest with standing water