Correction for terrain azimuthal slope effects in polarimetric SAR images

The existence of terrain slopes reduces the accuracy of algorithms intended to extract geophysical parameters from polarimetric SAR image data. Corrections have been made in the past for the effects of range-direction slopes using a co-registered digital elevation model (DEM). A technique has recently been developed to accurately measure slope-induced changes in polarimetric orientation from terrain backscatter. This measurement capability opens up the possibility of compensating for scattering changes caused by polarimetric effects in the azimuthal direction