scholarly journals Parameterized Modeling and Calibration for Orbital Error in TanDEM-X Bistatic SAR Interferometry over Complex Terrain Areas

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (24) ◽  
pp. 5124
Author(s):  
Huiqiang Wang ◽  
Yushan Zhou ◽  
Haiqiang Fu ◽  
Jianjun Zhu ◽  
Yanan Yu ◽  
...  

The TerraSAR-X add-on for Digital Elevation Measurements (TanDEM-X) bistatic system provides high-resolution and high-quality interferometric data for global topographic measurement. Since the twin TanDEM-X satellites fly in a close helix formation, they can acquire approximately simultaneous synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images, so that temporal decorrelation and atmospheric delay can be ignored. Consequently, the orbital error becomes the most significant error limiting high-resolution SAR interferometry (InSAR) applications, such as the high-precision digital elevation model (DEM) reconstruction, subway and highway deformation monitoring, landslide monitoring and sub-canopy topography inversion. For rugged mountainous areas, in particular, it is difficult to estimate and correct the orbital phase error in TanDEM-X bistatic InSAR. Based on the rigorous InSAR geometric relationship, the orbital phase error can be attributed to the baseline errors (BEs) after fixing the positions of the master SAR sensor and the targets on the ground surface. For the constraint of the targets at a study scene, the freely released TanDEM-X DEM can be used, due to its consistency with the TanDEM-X bistatic InSAR-measured height. As a result, a parameterized model for the orbital phase error estimation is proposed in this paper. In high-resolution and high-precision TanDEM-X bistatic InSAR processing, due to the limited precision of the navigation systems and the uneven baseline changes caused by the helix formation, the BEs are time-varying in most cases. The parameterized model is thus built and estimated along each range line. To validate the proposed method, two mountainous test sites located in China (i.e., Fuping in Shanxi province and Hetang in Hunan province) were selected. The obtained results show that the orbital phase errors of the bistatic interferograms over the two test sites are well estimated. Compared with the widely applied polynomial model, the residual phase corrected by the proposed method contains little undesirable topography-dependent phase error, and avoids unexpected height errors ranging about from −6 m to 3 m for the Fuping test site and from −10 m to 8 m for the Hetang test site. Furthermore, some fine details, such as ridges and valleys, can be clearly identified after the correction. In addition, the two components of the orbital phase error, i.e., the residual flat-earth phase error and the topographic phase error caused by orbital error, are separated and quantified based on the parameterized expression. These demonstrate that the proposed method can be used to accurately estimate and mitigate the orbital phase error in TanDEM-X bistatic InSAR data, which increases the feasibility of reconstructing high-resolution and high-precision DEM. The rigorous geometric constraint, the refinement of the initial baseline parameters, and the assessment for height errors based on the estimated BEs are investigated in the discussion section of this paper.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tao Li ◽  
Yangmao Wen ◽  
Lulu Chen ◽  
Jinge Wang

<p>Three Gorge area landslide hazards developed very fast after the Dam started to impound the water since 2007. There were lots of research literatures concentrated on the Badong Huangtupo Landslide area for the whole city center had to change its position in 2009. Several literatures used Envisat SAR images time series to monitoring the surface deformation from 2008~2010. The results showed good consistent with the water level changes and precipitation.  The high resolution TerraSAR Spotlight images had been used to monitoring the Shuping landslide and Fanjiaping landslide area in Zigui country from 2009~2012,the InSAR results showed good details of the landslide boundary and deformation rate with DInSAR technology.</p><p>This paper studies several landslide area in the Three Gorge by InSAR technology in the past few years, such as Huangtupo, Huanglashi , Daping and  Baiheping landslide area , etc. al . The high resolution SAR images covered Badong and Wushan area have been collected, including the Sentinel-1, TerraSAR, RadarSAT-2, ALOS-2 SAR images. The high resolution topography in those landslide area have been collected both by UAV lidar and high resolution topography map.</p><p>The Huangtupo landslide area changed a lot in the past 3 years with the buildings ruins cleared and red soil covered by the local government. The time series results by Sentinel data in this area shows the big changes but could not derive reasonable deformation results.</p><p>Three Gorges Research Center for Geo-hazards (TGRC) of China University of Geosciences(CUG) built the Badong field test site in Huangtupo landslide area. This test site is composed with a tunnel group and a series of monitoring system including the inside sensors, surface deformation monitoring sensors and so on. In this paper, we mounted several new designed dihedral corner reflectors on the Huangtupo landslide area for high precision deformation monitoring by InSAR. Both the  ascending and the  descending orbit data of RadarSAT-2 high resolution SAR image  and TerraSAR Spotlight images have been collected in this field.</p><p>The preliminary results from those new acquiring SAR data series show that the traditional landslide area such as Huanglashi , Daping, Baiheping are all moving slowly with good coherence in SAR image series.  The poor vegetation coverage in those landslide area helped to get the credible  InSAR results. The high resolution DEM is the critical elements for the DInSAR techniques in those landslide area. The steep  topography in those landslide area distorted the SAR images correspondingly.</p><p>Our results shows that it is possible to use ascending and descending high resolution SAR images to monitor the landslide area with mm level precision, while the vegetation is not so dense. High resolution SAR interferometry helped a lot for the landslide boundary detection and detailed analysis. The lower resolution SAR images such as Sentinel-1 still could provide some deformation results in landslide area, but it need more auxiliary data to interpret the results.</p>


The Holocene ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (8) ◽  
pp. 1129-1141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed El Bastawesy ◽  
Esayas Gebremichael ◽  
Mohamed Sultan ◽  
Mohamed Attwa ◽  
Hossein Sahour

Intensification of anthropogenic activities and related processes have altered the morphology of modern deltaic systems. As a result, mapping of geomorphic features, such as paleochannels, using recently acquired digital elevation data has become increasingly difficult. Using the Nile River and delta as a test site, we developed and applied procedures to map the distribution of paleochannels that existed throughout the Holocene. A high-resolution digital elevation model (DEM) derived from an early, detailed topographic sheet collection was used to minimize the impact of recent man-made topographic artifacts. The DEM-inferred paleochannel distribution was verified using direct and indirect subsurface data. Using our adopted methodology, we identified 76 main and subsidiary paleochannels with a total length exceeding (by >500 km) previously mapped paleochannels. The overwhelming majority (>80%) of the reported historical and archeological sites (29 sites) in the Nile Delta were found to be proximal (<2.5 km) to the identified paleochannels, an observation that is not obvious in any of the previous paleochannel delineations. These observations suggest that the delineated paleochannel distribution of the Nile Delta can be a useful guide for locating ancient cities currently obscured by man-made structures or buried under thick Holocene deposits. Moreover, it can potentially enhance our understanding of the geological and archeological history of the Nile Delta and has societal benefits as these channels could act as preferred pathways for groundwater flow. The advocated methods can be readily applied to river deltas worldwide where high-resolution elevation datasets acquired before the onset of heavy anthropogenic activities are available.


Author(s):  
M. Jain ◽  
R. Deo ◽  
V. Kumar ◽  
Y. S. Rao

Digital Elevation Model (DEM) is an important input for geo-spatial analysis. For various applications like flood management, ortho rectification of remote sensing images, navigation, architectural works, defence, etc., high resolution DEM is required. TanDEM-X mission was launched in 2010 to obtain high resolution global DEM with HTRI-3 standard. SAR interferometry (InSAR) technique is used for DEM generation from TanDEM-X SAR data. The accuracy of DEM depends on many parameters like height ambiguity, incidence angle, polarization, etc. In this study, time series TanDEM-X data spanning over 3 years, had processed for generating DEM at the spatial resolution of 6 m and their accuracy had studied using DGPS elevation data and SRTM 90 m DEM. The products generated during DEM generation process are DEM, precision (or height error), coherence, layover and shadow images. Using weighted average fusion technique, ascending and descending DEMs are fused for improving the quality of DEM and to reduce invalid pixels corresponding to layover and shadow areas. Results from time series data were analysed and found RMSE error of fused DEMs is in the range of 2 m to 4 m, while individual DEM has accuracy of 3 m to 6 m with respect to DGPS elevation data. Fused DEMs are having high accuracy as well as less voids. The reduction of voids by fusion, ranges from 40 to 85 % in different combinations of data.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irena Hajnsek ◽  
Georg Fischer ◽  
Giuseppe Parrella ◽  
Philipp Bernhard ◽  
Silvan Leinss

&lt;p&gt;In this presentation the focus is laid on cryospheric applications served by the single-pass interferometer TanDEM-X. The German Radar mission TanDEM-X (TerraSAR-X add-on for Digital Elevation Measurement) is already successfully in operation since 2010 and is delivering continuously data over the Earth surfaces.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The main mission objective was the generation of a global and consistent digital elevation model (DEM) with a spatial resolution of 12m and a relative vertical height accuracy of 2 m. For this at least two global acquisitions where needed and innovative algorithms where developed to process the data into a global high resolution DEM. In addition to the high resolution DEM also a 90-m DEM was generated to facilitate the comparability with the former SRTM DEM. Beyond the generation of DEMs super-test sites have been establish to collect continuously data over a limited area of interest and to demonstrate and develop new algorithms to support application development. In addition TanDEM-X supports the demonstration and application of new SAR techniques, with focus on multi-static SAR, polarimetric SAR interferometry, digital beam forming and super resolution.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Today it is known through observations, delivered by satellites and conventional observing systems that the Cryosphere reacts very sensitively to climate change. However, the feedbacks to the global climate system are not well understood, impairing predictions of the impact of future climate change. Improved observational data have been provided to better quantify the main cryospheric processes and improve the representation of the Cryosphere in climate models. TanDEM-X data (product but also interferometric data) have been used from an international science team for a diversity of cryosphere applications. The presentation will provide an overview of the operation status of TanDEM-X and will focus on the applied cryopheric applications so far applied. Examples of the detection of permafrost features, the estimation of the firn-line zone, derivation of vertical ice structure, the mass loses of &amp;#160;over ice sheets and sea ice height estimation will be presented.&lt;/p&gt;


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 2882
Author(s):  
Hao Chen ◽  
Shane R. Cloude ◽  
Joanne C. White

In this paper, we consider a new method for forest canopy height estimation using TanDEM-X single-pass radar interferometry. We exploit available information from sample-based, space-borne LiDAR systems, such as the Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) sensor, which offers high-resolution vertical profiling of forest canopies. To respond to this, we have developed a new extended Fourier-Legendre series approach for fusing high-resolution (but sparsely spatially sampled) GEDI LiDAR waveforms with TanDEM-X radar interferometric data to improve wide-area and wall-to-wall estimation of forest canopy height. Our key methodological development is a fusion of the standard uniform assumption for the vertical structure function (the SINC function) with LiDAR vertical profiles using a Fourier-Legendre approach, which produces a convergent series of approximations of the LiDAR profiles matched to the interferometric baseline. Our results showed that in our test site, the Petawawa Research Forest, the SINC function is more accurate in areas with shorter canopy heights (<~27 m). In taller forests, the SINC approach underestimates forest canopy height, whereas the Legendre approach avails upon simulated GEDI forest structural vertical profiles to overcome SINC underestimation issues. Overall, the SINC + Legendre approach improved canopy height estimates (RMSE = 1.29 m) compared to the SINC approach (RMSE = 4.1 m).


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 2326
Author(s):  
Xiaoyong Li ◽  
Xueru Bai ◽  
Feng Zhou

A deep-learning architecture, dubbed as the 2D-ADMM-Net (2D-ADN), is proposed in this article. It provides effective high-resolution 2D inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) imaging under scenarios of low SNRs and incomplete data, by combining model-based sparse reconstruction and data-driven deep learning. Firstly, mapping from ISAR images to their corresponding echoes in the wavenumber domain is derived. Then, a 2D alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) is unrolled and generalized to a deep network, where all adjustable parameters in the reconstruction layers, nonlinear transform layers, and multiplier update layers are learned by an end-to-end training through back-propagation. Since the optimal parameters of each layer are learned separately, 2D-ADN exhibits more representation flexibility and preferable reconstruction performance than model-driven methods. Simultaneously, it is able to better facilitate ISAR imaging with limited training samples than data-driven methods owing to its simple structure and small number of adjustable parameters. Additionally, benefiting from the good performance of 2D-ADN, a random phase error estimation method is proposed, through which well-focused imaging can be acquired. It is demonstrated by experiments that although trained by only a few simulated images, the 2D-ADN shows good adaptability to measured data and favorable imaging results with a clear background can be obtained in a short time.


2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 2511-2535 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wael Abdel Jaber ◽  
Helmut Rott ◽  
Dana Floricioiu ◽  
Jan Wuite ◽  
Nuno Miranda

Abstract. The northern and southern Patagonian ice fields (NPI and SPI) have been subject to accelerated retreat during the last decades, with considerable variability in magnitude and timing among individual glaciers. We derive spatially detailed maps of surface elevation change (SEC) of NPI and SPI from bistatic synthetic aperture radar (SAR) interferometry data of the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) and TerraSAR-X add-on for Digital Elevation Measurements (TanDEM-X) for two epochs, 2000–2012 and 2012–2016, and provide data on changes in surface elevation and ice volume for the individual glaciers and the ice fields at large. We apply advanced TanDEM-X processing techniques allowing us to cover 90 % and 95 % of the area of NPI and 97 % and 98 % of SPI for the two epochs, respectively. Particular attention is paid to precisely co-registering the digital elevation models (DEMs), accounting for possible effects of radar signal penetration through backscatter analysis and correcting for seasonality biases in case of deviations in repeat DEM coverage from full annual time spans. The results show a different temporal trend between the two ice fields and reveal a heterogeneous spatial pattern of SEC and mass balance caused by different sensitivities with respect to direct climatic forcing and ice flow dynamics of individual glaciers. The estimated volume change rates for NPI are -4.26±0.20 km3 a−1 for epoch 1 and -5.60±0.74 km3 a−1 for epoch 2, while for SPI these are -14.87±0.52 km3 a−1 for epoch 1 and -11.86±1.99 km3 a−1 for epoch 2. This corresponds for both ice fields to an eustatic sea level rise of 0.048±0.002 mm a−1 for epoch 1 and 0.043±0.005 mm a−1 for epoch 2. On SPI the spatial pattern of surface elevation change is more complex than on NPI and the temporal trend is less uniform. On terminus sections of the main calving glaciers of SPI, temporal variations in flow velocities are a main factor for differences in SEC between the two epochs. Striking differences are observed even on adjoining glaciers, such as Upsala Glacier, with decreasing mass losses associated with slowdown of flow velocity, contrasting with acceleration and increase in mass losses on Viedma Glacier.


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