SAR data collection over rain forests at VHF- and UHF-band

Radar imaging of tropical vegetation at VHF- and UHF-band has been performed using the airborne SAR sensors CARABAS-II and LORA, respectively. The acquired data set is limited to HH-polarized registrations only. The area mapped exhibits a rough terrain with dramatic topographic variations, mostly covered by dense tropical rain forests. Multiple illumination directions spanning 360° were adopted in the data collection for both sensors to overcome the shadowing due to the high relief topography. For each heading, the SAR images generated, adjacent in azimuth and from all imaging passes, were calibrated and geocoded separately and then merged into a mosaic representing the full ground coverage. A first output from the forest backscatter analysis indicates a 12 dB lower level at VHF-band at an incidence angle of about 70°. However, this preliminary result is based on one sample point only, where the investigated forested area was located on a fairly flat ground surface.