Modeling C-band radar observables over sugarbeet fields using machine learning

This thesis developed a forward model for Sentinel-1 C-band co-pol and cross-pol backscatter and coherence using crop biophysical variables including leaf area index, tops weight, surface soil moisture and root zone soil moisture as inputs for sugarbeet. These input variables are simulated using a crop model called Decision Support System for...

Mitigation of Weather effects on Optical Satellite Imagery

How to deal with the presence of weather affected data is an unavoidable topic in the processing of optical imagery. Clouds and cloud shadows significantly alter the spectral signatures obtained from satellite data, which often leads to problems for any kind of scientific analysis. In this research there has been elaborated on two different kind...

Sensitivity Assessment of Sentinel-1 SAR Closure Phase to Vegetation and Soil Moisture Dynamics: A Case Study for Regions in Southern France

From three coherent SAR images it is possible to estimate three interferograms. Combined in a circular way, the sum of the three interferometric phases is called the closure phase which necessarily adds up to zero on a single pixel level. However, if the interferograms are spatially averaged, phase consistency is not guaranteed. In most of the...

Characterising the marine atmospheric boundary layer with spaceborne SAR

Oceans play a vital role in the regulation of Earth's intricate climate system. The majority of gas and energy exchanges occurring at the ocean-atmosphere interface are driven by small-scale, O(1 km), coupled processes. Despite its importance, too few observations have been able to capture the ocean-atmosphere coupling at scales smaller than O...

Polarimetric SAR signals of river ice breakup

Ice jam events can be devastating for the environment, human infrastructure, and local population. During breakup season, it is of great importance to be informed about the river ice cover condition in order to mitigate breakup flood risk. The Athabasca River near FortMcMurray, located in Alberta, is particularly prone to ice jam events and...

Monitoring deformation in glasshouses using InSAR

The Netherlands has for long been witnessing problems due to subsidence. While urban infrastructure is mostly safeguarded from differential settlement by deep pile foundations, the same cannot be said about greenhouses. The greenhouses of the Netherlands has enabled the country to become the largest exporter of vegetables, second only to the...