Browsing by Subject "SAR"
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Item Enhanced inverse synthetic aperture radar(2010-12) Naething, Richard Maxwell; Buckley, Sean M.; Ling, HaoSynthetic aperture radar (SAR) is an imaging technique based on the radio reflectivity of the target being imaged. SAR instruments offer many advantages over optical imaging due to the ability to form coherent images in inclement weather, at night, and through ground cover. High resolution is achieved in azimuth through a synthesized aperture much larger than the physical antenna of the imaging device. Consequently, proper focusing requires accurate information about the relative motion between the antenna phase center and the scene. Any unknown target velocity, acceleration, rotation, or vibration will introduce errors in the image. This work addresses a novel method of focusing a moving target in a SAR image through the estimation of various motion parameters. The target azimuth position is determined through monopulse radar, at which point range velocity and acceleration are estimated across a series of overlapping sub-apertures. Cross-range velocity is then estimated through a search to optimize an image quality metric such as entropy or contrast. A final focused image is then generated based on this velocity vector. Methods of extending this work for a single phase center system are considered. This technique is demonstrated with real radar data from an experimental system, and the performance of this technique is compared both subjectively and with a variety of image metrics to the MITRE keystone technique. Finally, extensions to this current line of research are considered.Item Estimating high resolution atmospheric phase screens from differential InSAR measurements(2010-05) Yang, Dochul; Buckley, Sean M.; Tapley, Byron D.; Schutz, Bob E.; Lightsey, Glenn; Wilson, Clark R.Atmospheric artifacts superimposed on interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) measurements have the potential to greatly impede the accurate estimation of deformation signals. The research presented in this dissertation demonstrates a novel InSAR time series algorithm, called HiRAPS algorithm, for effectively estimating high resolution atmospheric phase screens (APS) from differential InSAR measurements. In summary, the HiRAPS algorithm utilizes short time span differential interferograms and rearranges components of existing advanced InSAR techniques to identify a higher density of scatterers used to create the APS. The improved scatterer density allows one to estimate high spatial frequency atmospheric signals not recovered from existing InSAR time series techniques. The HiRAPS algorithm was tested with simulated and actual data, which contain phase contributions from linear and nonlinear deformation, topographic height errors, and atmospheric artifacts. Simulated differential interferograms were generated to have the same spatial and temporal baselines as the actual differential interferograms formed from RADARSAT-1 data over Phoenix, Arizona. The APS superimposed on simulated differential interferograms were then estimated and compared to simulated APS. The root mean square error (RMSE) between the estimated and simulated APS was calculated to qualitatively assess the different values obtained. The RMSE was 0.26 radians when utilizing the HiRAPS algorithm, compared to an RMSE value of 0.39 radians using an implementation of the permanent scatterer (PS) algorithm. The HiRAPS algorithm also showed its applicability for estimating high spatial frequency atmospheric signals for actual data. Sixty-six SAR images, starting from October 5, 2002 and spanning 5 years, were processed for this research. The APS pixel density obtained using the HiRAPS algorithm was 253 pixels per square kilometer, compared to 14 pixels per square kilometer utilizing the PS algorithm. The APS superimposed on the differential interferograms were estimated with both the proposed and PS algorithms. High resolution APS were estimated with the HiRAPS algorithm, whereas only low resolution APS were obtained with the PS algorithm. After estimating and removing estimated APS, the phase stability of APS-free differential interferograms was examined by identifying the permanent scatterers (PS). The final density of identified PS obtained with the HiRAPS algorithm was 453 PS per square kilometer, whereas the density of detected PS using the generic PS algorithm was 381 PS per square kilometer. The maximum difference in the deformation time series between the HiRAPS algorithm and the PS algorithm was less than 6 mm. However, the HiRAPS algorithm resulted in less apparent noise in the time series than the PS algorithm due to the precise estimation of APS.Item Investigation of 10-bit SAR ADC using flip-flip bypass circuit(2013-12) Fontaine, Robert Alexander; Sun, NanThe Successive Approximation Register (SAR) Analog to Digital Converter (ADC) is power efficient and operates at moderate resolution. However, the conversion speed is limited by settling time and control logic constraints. This report investigates a flip-flop bypass technique to reduce the required conversion time. A conventional design and flip-flop bypass design are simulated using a 0.18[micrometer] CMOS process. Background and design of the control logic, comparator, capacitive array, and switches for implementing the SAR ADCs is presented with the emphasis on optimizing for conversion speed.Item Investigation of coastal dynamics of the Antarctic Ice Sheet using sequential Radarsat SAR images(2009-05-15) Tang, Sheng-JungIncreasing human activities have brought about a global warming trend, and cause global sea level rise. Investigations of variations in coastal margins of Antarctica and in the glacial dynamics of the Antarctic Ice Sheet provide useful diagnostic information for understanding and predicting sea level changes. This research investigates the coastal dynamics of the Antarctic Ice Sheet in terms of changes in the coastal margin and ice flow velocities. The primary methods used in this research include image segmentation based coastline extraction and image matching based velocity derivation. The image segmentation based coastline extraction method uses a modified adaptive thresholding algorithm to derive a high-resolution, complete coastline of Antarctica from 2000 orthorectified SAR images at the continental scale. This new coastline is compared with the 1997 coastline also derived from orthorectified Radarsat SAR images, and the 1963 coastline derived from Argon Declassified Intelligence Satellite Photographs for change detection analysis of the ice margins. The analysis results indicate, in the past four decades, the Antarctic ice sheet experienced net retreat and its areal extent has been reduced significantly. Especially, the ice shelves and glaciers on the Antarctic Peninsula reveal a sustained retreating trend. In addition, the advance, retreat, and net change rates have been measured and inventoried for 200 ice shelves and glaciers. A multi-scale image matching algorithm is developed to track ice motion and to measure ice velocity for a number of sectors of the Antarctic coast based on 1997 and 2000 SAR image pairs. The results demonstrate that a multi-scale image matching algorithm is much more efficient and accurate compared with the conventional algorithm. The velocity measurements from the image matching method have been compared with those derived from InSAR techniques and those observed from conventional ground surveys during 1970-1971. The comparison reveals that the ice velocity in the front part of the Amery Ice Shelf has increased by about 50-200 m/a. The rates of ice calving and temporal variation of ice flow pattern have been also analyzed by integrating the ice margin change measurement with the ice flow velocity at the terminus of the outlet glacier.Item Polarimetric SAR decomposition of temperate Ice Cap Hofsjokull, central Iceland(2010-08) Minchew, Brent Morton; Buckley, Sean M.; Hensley, ScottFully-polarimetric UAVSAR data of Hofsjokull Ice Cap, central Iceland, taken in June 2009 was decomposed using Pauli-based coherent decomposition as well as Cloude and H/A/alpha eigenvector-based decomposition methods. The goals of this research were to evaluate the effect of the near-surface conditions of temperate glaciers on polarized SAR data and investigate the potential of creating a model of the radar scattering mechanisms based on the decomposed elements and local temperature. The results of this data analysis show a strong relationship between the Pauli and H/A/alpha decomposition elements and the near-surface conditions. Fitting curves to the normalized Pauli decomposition elements shows consistent trends across several spatially independent regions of the ice cap suggesting that the Pauli elements might be useful for modeling the scattering mechanisms of temperate ice with various surface conditions.Item Radiometric calibration of high resolution UAVSAR data over hilly, forested terrain(2010-12) Riel, Bryan Valmote; Buckley, Sean M.; Simard, MarcSAR backscatter data contain both geometric and radiometric distortions due to underlying topography and the radar viewing geometry. Thus, applications using SAR backscatter data for deriving various scientific products (e.g. above ground biomass) require accurate absolute radiometric calibration. The calibration process involves estimation of the local radar scattering area through knowledge of the imaged terrain, which is often obtained through DEMs. High resolution UAVSAR data over a New Hampshire boreal forest test site was radiometrically calibrated using a low resolution SRTM DEM, and different calibration methods were tested and compared. Heteromorphic methods utilizing DEM integration are able to model scattering area better than homomorphic methods based on the local incidence or projection angle with a resultant backscatter calibration difference of less than 0.5 dB. Additionally, the impact of low DEM resolution on the calibration was investigated through a Fourier analysis of different topographic classes. Power spectra of high-resolution airborne lidar DEMs were used to characterize the topography of steep, moderate, and flat terrain. Thus, errors for a given low resolution DEM associated with a particular topographic class could be quantified through a comparison of its power spectrum with that from the lidar. These errors were validated by comparing DEM slope derived from SRTM and lidar DEMs. The impact of radiometric calibration on the biomass retrieval capabilities of UAVSAR data was investigated by fitting second-order polynomials to backscatter vs. biomass plots for the HH, HV, and VV polarizations. LVIS RH50 values were used to calculate biomass, and the process was repeated for both uncalibrated and area calibrated UAVSAR images. The calibration improved the $R^2$ values for the polynomial fits by 0.7-0.8 for all three polarizations but had little effect on the polynomial coefficients. The Fourier method for predicting DEM errors was used to predict biomass errors due to the calibration. It was revealed that the greatest errors occurred in the near range of the SAR image and on slopes facing towards the radar.Item Remote sensing analysis of natural oil and gas seeps on the continental slope of the northern Gulf of Mexico(Texas A&M University, 2004-11-15) De Beukelaer, Sophie MagdalenaNatural hydrocarbon seeps harbor distinctive geological, chemical, and biological features in the marine environment. This thesis verified remote sensing signatures of seeps using in-situ observation and repeated collections of satellite imagery. Bubble streams in the Gulf of Mexico water column from four natural seep sites on the upper continental slope were imaged by a side-scan sonar, which was operated from a submarine near the seafloor, and by acoustic profilers, which were operated from surface ships. These data were correlated with sea surface slicks imaged by Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) on the RADARSAT satellite. Comparing non-oily bubble streams from rapidly venting mud volcanoes with oily bubble streams from shallow deposits of gas hydrate showed that they produced notably different signatures. Non-oily bubbles produced high backscatter on the side-scan sonar records, but were difficult to detect with the acoustic profilers. Oily bubbles from hydrate deposits produced acoustic shadows on the side-scan sonar records. The oily bubbles generated clear signatures extending from the seafloor to the near surface on the acoustic profile records. RADARSAT SAR images verified the presence of surface oil slicks over the hydrate deposits, but not over the mud volcanoes. This indicates that SAR imagery will not be able to capture every oil and gas seep in a region because non-oily bubble streams do not create surface oil slicks. A total of 113 natural oily seep sources were identified based on surface slicks in eleven SAR images collected over the northern continental slope. A persistence analysis verified that SAR is a dependable tool for capturing oil slicks because 93.5% of the slick sources identified in the 2001 images were corroborated with slicks in the 2002 images. The sources ranged in depth from 100 to 2000 m and 79% of the sources were in 900 meters or greater of water. Seventy-six percent of the seep sources were associated with salt less than 1500 m below the seafloor and none of the sources were located in the bottom of salt withdrawal basins. Geographical Information Systems (GIS) proved to be a useful tool in these analyses.Item RF Pulse Design for Parallel Excitation in Magnetic Resonance Imaging(2012-07-16) Liu, YinanParallel excitation is an emerging technique to improve or accelerate multi-dimensional spatially selective excitations in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using multi-channel transmit arrays. The technique has potential in many applications, such as accelerating imaging speed, mitigating field inhomogeneity in high-field MRI, and alleviating the susceptibility artifact in functional MRI (fMRI). In these applications, controlling radiofrequency (RF) power deposition (quantified by Specific Absorption Rate, or SAR) under safe limit is a critical issue, particularly in high-field MRI. This \dissertation will start with a review of multidimensional spatially selective excitation in MRI and current parallel excitation techniques. Then it will present two new RF pulse design methods to achieve reduced local/global SAR for parallel excitation while preserving the time duration and excitation pattern quality. Simulations incorporating human-model based tissue density and dielectric property were performed. Results have show that the proposed methods can achieve significant SAR reductions without enlonging the pulse duration at high-fields.