The effects of acquisition geometry on SAR images of natural scenes

In this paper we present novel results regarding the modeling of the SAR imaging process of natural scenes. The proposed model represents the extension to the two-dimensional case of the model previously proposed by some of the authors for the case of a one-dimensional fractal profile. Assuming a fractional Brownian model (fBm) for the observed surface and under a small slope hypothesis, we evaluate here, in closed form, the power density spectrum of the corresponding radar image. The proposed model effectively accounts for the effect of finite sensor resolution and for the peculiarity of SAR acquisition geometry. A numerical setup is implemented, based on sound physical models, allowing, on one hand, the validation of the small slope model and, furthermore, the empirical study of the general slope case.