Forest parameter retrieval using a general repeat-pass polarimetric interferometric vegetation model

This paper concerns forest parameter retrieval from multi - temporal polarimetric interferometric SAR data. A two - component polarimetric interferometric model, designed for geophysical parameter retrieval, is presented for volumetric media over the ground. It is founded on a scattering model based polarimetric decomposition and the random volume over ground (RVoG) PolInSAR inversion technique. For forest vegetation observed at L-band, this model accounts for the ground topography, canopy layer and total tree heights, mean wave attenuation in the canopy, tree morphology in the form of orientation distribution and effective shapes of the branches, surface scattering contribution, and double - bounce ground-trunk interactions. A parameter retrieval framework is developed for repeat-pass acquisitions which aims to estimate and to compensate temporal decorrelation. The parameter estimation performance is evaluated on real airborne L-band SAR data in the repeat pass mode.