Comparative Analysis of Forest Height Retrieval Methods by Polarimetric SAR Interferometry

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to compare and analyze the forest height retrieval methods from Polarimetric SAR Interferometry(POLINSAR).Both of the methods based on DEM difference and that on interferometry coherence amplitude are generalized, analyzed, and compared.Also in this paper combined methods of DEM difference and interferometry coherence amplitude are proposed and validated.The ESA fullpolarimetric interferometry L-band data are used for forest height analysis.The results show that the height is severely underestimated using DEM difference method,In constast,interferometry coherence amplitude method has a overest imation of height.The combined method of DEM difference and interferometry coherence amplitude has a much better estimate,closer to the true height than these two methods.