A Simple Microwave Backscattering Model for Vegetation Canopies

Abstract

A simple microwave backscattering model for vegetation canopies on earth surfaces is developed in this study. A natural earth surface is modeled as a two-layer structure comprising a vegetation layer and a ground layer. This scattering model includes various scattering mechanisms up to the first-order multiple scattering(double-bounce scattering). Radar backscatter from ground surface has been modeled by the polarimetric semi-empirical model (PSEM), while the backscatter from the vegetation layer modeled by the vector radiative transfer model. The vegetation layer is modeled by random distribution of mixed scattering particles, such as leaves, branches and trunks. The number of input parameters has been minimized to simplify the scattering model. The computation results are compared with the experimental measurements, which were obtained by ground-based scatterometers and NASA/JPL air-borne synthetic aperture radar(SAR) system. It was found that the scattering model agrees well with the experimental data, even though the model used only ten input parameters.