Polinsar forestry applications improved by modeling height-dependent temporal decorrelation

We model the temporal decorrelation in volumetric media imaged by a repeat-pass SAR interferometer by using a temporal correlation function that varies with depth. An expression of this function is proposed and based on the Brownian motion of the canopy and soil elements. The spatial and temporal correlation terms are merged in a single coherence model that includes a large class of decorrelation effects, such as those induced by changes in the structure of the medium. We discuss the effects of the temporal correlation function and its implications on the parameters estimation using the POLINSAR random volume over ground model.