SIR-C analysis of desert sabkha

Sabkhas are systems which play hydrogeologic roles in desert or coastal environments. Active sabkhas are topographically flat areas of excessive saline evaporation characterized by rough surface residual evaporite deposits and a shallow water table (0.5-1 m). SAR is ideally suited to sabkha study due to its dependence on surface roughness and surface and sub-surface dielectrics. Three active sabkhas in the Middle East and North America imaged by SIR-C are selected for this study. Backscatter values from sabkha areas and the surrounding desert environment show high backscatter values at L-band and C-band compared to the surrounding desert environment. For two sabkhas, SAR backscatter is average 5-6 dB higher. Future work involves SAR-derived sabkha classification and development of a backscatter model