Change detection of small objects and linear features in multi-temporal polarimetric images

A SAR image sequence acquired over several months was used to study temporal variations of radar signatures of object classes which are relevant for updating topographic maps. For the selected object classes (buildings, roads, and hedgerows), the average pixel-to-pixel intensity variations are relatively stable over time intervals between data acquisitions from one month to one year. The threshold to be set in order to distinguish relevant changes from inherent signature variations decreases considerably, if signature mean values of individual objects are compared to each other rather than the signature values of individual pixels