Aspects of Terrain Height Estimation Using Interferometric Sar

Abstract

Satellite SAR interferometry estimates terrain elevation by comparing two complex SAR images collected from separate passes over common ground. We have implemented prototype software to perform satellite interferometry. Two raw SEASAT data sets from Northern Canada were used to test the software. This data presents an example of SAR interferometry in a northern area and also demonstrates the sensitivity of interferogram phase to the conditions of the underlying data. Complications to our analysis were introduced by the plethora of frozen and unfrozen waterbodies in the area along with varying weather conditions during the three day interval between data takes. Finally, irregularities in the data produced aninconsistent interferogram that could not be meaningfully transformed to height estimates. However, the generation of fringes from the Arctic imagery demonstrates that satellite interferometry is possible in near polar locations.