Retrieval of surface parameters in tidal flats using radar backscattering model and multi-frequency SAR data

This study proposes an inversion algorithm to extract the surface parameters, such as surface roughness and soil moisture contents, using multi-frequency SAR data. The study areas include the tidal flats of Jebu Island and the reclaimed lands of Hwaong district on the western coasts of the Korean peninsula. SAR data of three frequencies were accordingly calibrated to provide precise backscattering coefficients through absolute radiometric calibration. The root mean square (RMS) height and the correlation length, which can describe the surface roughness, were extracted from the backscattering coefficients using the inversion of the Integral Equation Method (IEM). The IEM model was appropriately modified to accommodate the environmental conditions of tidal flats. Volumetric soil moisture was also simultaneously extracted from the dielectric constant using the empirical model, which define the relations between volumetric soil moistures and dielectric constants. The results obtained from the proposed algorithm were verified with the in-situ measurements, and we confirmed that multi-frequency SAR observations combined with the surface scattering model for tidal flats can be used to quantitatively retrieve the geophysical surface parameters in tidal flats.