• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.205-214
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• 2015

In this study, a novel land-cover classification framework for multi-temporal SAR data is presented that can combine multiple features extracted through data transforms and multiple classifiers. At first, data transforms using principle component analysis (PCA) and 3D wavelet transform are applied to multi-temporal SAR dataset for extracting new features which were different from original dataset. Then, three different classifiers including maximum likelihood classifier (MLC), neural network (NN) and support vector machine (SVM) are applied to three different dataset including data transform based features and original backscattering coefficients, and as a result, the diverse preliminary classification results are generated. These results are combined via a majority voting rule to generate a final classification result. From an experiment with a multi-temporal ENVISAT ASAR dataset, every preliminary classification result showed very different classification accuracy according to the used feature and classifier. The final classification result combining nine preliminary classification results showed the best classification accuracy because each preliminary classification result provided complementary information on land-covers. The improvement of classification accuracy in this study was mainly attributed to the diversity from combining not only different features based on data transforms, but also different classifiers. Therefore, the land-cover classification framework presented in this study would be effectively applied to the classification of multi-temporal SAR data and also be extended to multi-sensor remote sensing data fusion.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.543-553
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• 2011

Sea ice concentration calculated from the AMSR-E onboard Aqua satellite by using NASA Team2 sea ice algorithm has proven to be very accurate over sea ice in Antarctic Ocean. When glacial ice such as icebergs and ice shelves are dominant in an AMSR-E footprint, the accuracy of the ice concentration calculated from NASA Team2 algorithm is not well maintained due to the different microwave characteristics of the glacial ice from sea ice. We extracted the concentrations of sea ice and glacial ice from two ENVISAT ASAR images of George V coast in southern Antarctica, and compared them with NASA Team2 sea ice concentration. The result showed that the NASA Team2 algorithm underestimates the concentration of glacial ice. To interpret the large deviation of estimation over glacial ice, we analyzed the characteristics of microwave radiation of the glacial ice in PR(polarization ratio), GR(spectral gradient ratio), $PR_R$(rotated PR), and ${\Delta}GR$ domain. We found that glacial ice occupies a unique region in the PR, GR, $PR_R$, and ${\Delta}GR$ domain different from other types of ice such as ice type A, B, and C, and open water. This implies that glacial ice can be added as a new category of ice to the AMSR-E NASA Team2 sea ice algorithm.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.91-98
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• 2008

We present an efficient and robust technique to estimate the velocity of moving targets from a single SAR image. In SAR images, azimuth image shift is a well blown phenomenon, which is observed in moving targets having slant-range velocity. Most methods estimated the velocity of moving targets from the distance difference between the road and moving targets or between ship and the ship wake. However, the methods could not be always applied to moving targets because it is difficult to find the road and the ship wake. We propose a method for estimating the velocity of moving targets from azimuth differentials of range-compressed image. This method is based on a phenomenon that Doppler center frequency shift of moving target causes a phase difference in azimuth differential values. The phase difference is linearly distorted by Doppler rate due to the geometry of SAR image. The linear distortion is eliminated from phase removal procedure, and then the constant phase difference is estimated. Finally, range velocity estimates for moving targets are retrieved from the constant phase difference. This technique was tested using an ENVISAT ASAR image in which several unknown ships are presented. In the case of a isolated target, the result was nearly coincident with the result from conventional method. However, in the case of a target which is located near non-target material, the difference of the result between from our algorithm and from conventional method was more than 1m/s.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.645-655
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• 2013

As one of segmentation techniques for Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) image with oil spill, we applied a bimodal histogram method to discriminate oil pixels from non-oil pixels. The threshold of each moving window was objectively determined using the two peaks in the histogram distribution of backscattering coefficients from ENVISAT ASAR image. To reduce the effect of wind speed on oil spill detection, we selected ASAR image which satisfied a limit of wind speeds for successful detection. Overall, a commonly used adaptive threshold method has been applied with a subjectively-determined single threshold. In contrast, the bimodal histogram method utilized herein produces a variety of thresholds objectively for each moving window by considering the characteristics of statistical distribution of backscattering coefficients. Comparison between the two methods revealed that the bimodal histogram method exhibited no significant difference in terms of performance when compared to the adaptive threshold method, except for around the edges of dark oil spots. Thus, we anticipate that the objective method based on the bimodality of oil slicks may also be applicable to the detection of oil spills from other SAR imagery.

• Proceedings of the KSRS Conference
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• v.1
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• pp.390-393
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• 2006

It is well known that synthetic aperture radar (SAR) provides information on ocean winds and surface waves. SAR data are of particularly high value in extreme weather conditions, as radar is able to penetrate the clouds providing information on different ocean surface processes. In this presentation some recent results on SAR observation of extreme wind and ocean wave conditions is summarised. Particular emphasize is put on the investigation of typhoons and extratropical cyclones in the North Pacific. The study is based on the use of ENVISAT ASAR wide swath images. Wide swath and scansar data are well suited for a detailed investigation of cyclones. Several examples like, e.g., typhoon Talim will be presented, demonstrating that these data provide valuable information on the two dimensional structure of the both the wind and the ocean wave field. Comparisons of the SAR observation with parametric and numerical model data will be discussed. Some limitations of standard imaging models like, e.g., CMOD5 for the use in extreme wind conditions are explained and modifications are proposed. Finally the study summarizes the capabilities of new high resolution TerraSAR-X mission to be launched in October 2006 with respect to the monitoring of extreme weather conditions. The mission will provide a spatialresolution up to 1m and has full polarimetric capabilities.

• Proceedings of the KSRS Conference
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• 2008.10a
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• pp.368-368
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• 2008

Oil spills are a principal factor of the ocean pollution. The complicated problems involved in detecting oil spills are usually due to varying wind and sea surface condition such as ocean wave and current. The Hebei Spirit accident was happened in the west sea ($36^{\circ}$41'04" N, $126^{\circ}$03'12" E) near about 8 km distant from Tae-An, Korea on December 7, 2007. The aim of this work is to improve the detection and classification performance in order to define a more accurate training set and identifying the feature of oil spill region. This paper deals with an optimization technique for the detection and classification scheme using multi-frequency and multi-polarization SAR and optical image data sets of the oil spilled sea. The used image data are the ENVISAT ASAR WS and Radarsat-1 of C-band and ALOS PALSAR of L-band SAR data and KOMPSAT-2 optical images together with meteorological or oceanographic data. Both the theory and the experimental results obtained are discussed.

• Proceedings of the KSRS Conference
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• 2007.10a
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• pp.625-628
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• 2007

We present an efficient and robust technique to estimate the velocity of moving targets from a single SAR image. In SAR images, azimuth image shift is a well known phenomenon, which is observed in moving targets having slant-range velocity. Most methods estimated the velocity of moving targets from the distance difference between the road and moving targets or between ship and the ship wake. However, the methods could not be always applied to moving targets because it is difficult to find the road and the ship wake. We adopted a method estimating the velocity of moving targets from azimuth differentials of range-compressed image. This method is based on an assumption that Doppler center frequency shift of moving target causes a phase difference in azimuth differential values. The phase difference is linearly distorted by Doppler rate due to the geometry of SAR image. The linear distortion is eliminated from phase removal procedure, and the constant phase difference is estimated. Finally, range velocity estimates for moving targets are retrieved. This technique is tested using an ENVISAT ASAR image in which several unknown ships are presented. The theoretical accuracy of this technique is discussed by SAR simulation. The advantages and disadvantages of this method over the conventional method are also discussed.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.257-272
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• 2007

This paper analyzed relationships between various features from SAR data with multiple acquisition dates and mode (frequency, polarization and incidence angles), and land-cover classes. Two typical types of features were extracted by considering acquisition conditions of currently available SAR data. First, coherence, temporal variability and principal component transform-based features were extracted from multi-temporal and single mode SAR data. C-band ERS-1/2, ENVISAT ASAR and Radarsat-1, and L-band JERS-1 SAR data were used for those features and different characteristics of different SAR sensor data were discussed in terms of land-cover discrimination capability. Overall, tandem coherence showed the best discrimination capability among various features. Long-term coherence from C-band SAR data provided a useful information on the discrimination of urban areas from other classes. Paddy fields showed the highest temporal variability values in all SAR sensor data. Features from principal component transform contained particular information relevant to specific land-cover class. As features for multiple mode SAR data acquired at similar dates, polarization ratio and multi-channel variability were also considered. VH/VV polarization ratio was a useful feature for the discrimination of forest and dry fields in which the distributions of coherence and temporal variability were significantly overlapped. It would be expected that the case study results could be useful information on improvement of classification accuracy in land-cover classification with SAR data, provided that the main findings of this paper would be confirmed by extensive case studies based on multi-temporal SAR data with various modes and ground-based SAR experiments.

• Proceedings of the International Union of Geodesy And Geophysics Korea Journal of Geophysical Research Conference
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• 2003.05a
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• pp.14-14
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• 2003

SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) is an imaging radar which can scan and image Earth System targets without solar illumination. Most Earth observation Shh systems operate in X-, C-, S-, L-, and P-band frequencies, where the shortest wavelength is approximately 1.5 cm. This means that most opaque objects in the SAR signal path become transparent and SAR systems can image the planetary surface targets without sunlight and through rain, snow and/or even volcanic ash clouds. Most conventional SAR systems in operation, including the Canada's RADARSAT-1, operate in one frequency and in one polarization. This has resulted in black and with images, with which we are familiar now. However, with the launching of ENVTSAT on March 1 2002, the ASAR system onboard the ENVISAT can image Earth's surface targets with selected polarimetric signals, HH+VV, HH+VH, and VV+HV. In 2004, Canadian Space Agency will launch RADARSAT-II, which is C-band, fully polarimetric HH+VV+VH+HV. Almost same time, the NASDA of Japan will launch ALOS (Advanced land Observation Satellite) which will carry L-band PALSAR system, which is again fully polarimetric. This means that we will have at least three fully polarimetric space-borne SAR system fur civilian operation in less than one year. Are we then ready for this new all weather Earth Observation technology\ulcorner Actual imaging process of a fully polarimetric SAR system is not easy to explain. But, most Earth system scientists, including geologists, are familiar with polarization microscopes and other polarization effects in nature. The spatial resolution of the new generation of SAR systems have also been steadily increased, almost to the limit of highest optical resolution. In this talk some new applications how they are used for Earth system observation purpose.