• Proceedings of the KSRS Conference
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• 1999.11a
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• pp.154-157
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• 1999

Microwave polarimetric backscattering from a wet soil surface had been measured using a Ku-band polarimetric scatterometer at the incidence angles ranging from 10$^{\circ}$ to 70$^{\circ}$ Since the accurate target parameters as well as the radar parameters are necessary for radar scattering modeling, a complete and accurate set of ground truth data were also collected, from which accurate measurements were made of the rms height, correlation length, and dielectric constant. The measured polarimetric backscattering coefficients (vv-, hh-, vh-, hv-polarizations) were compared with theoretical models and empirical models. A new semi-empirical model for microwave polarimetric radar backscattering from bare soil surfaces was developed using polarimetric radar measurements and the knowledge based on the theoretical and numerical solutions. The model was found to yield very good agreement with the backscattering measurements of this study.

• Proceedings of the KSRS Conference
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• v.1
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• pp.146-149
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• 2006

Marine surface winds observed by two microwave sensors, SeaWinds and Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR), on the Advanced Earth Observing Satellite-II (ADEOS-II) are evaluated by comparison with off-shore moored buoy observations. The wind speed and direction observed by SeaWinds are in good agreement with buoy data with root-mean-squared (rms) differences of approximately 1 m $s^{-1}$ and $20^{\circ}$, respectively. No systematic biases depending on wind speed or cross-track wind vector cell location are discernible. The effects of oceanographic and atmospheric environments on the scatterometry are negligible. The wind speed observed by AMSR also exhibited reasonable agreement with the buoy data in general with rms difference of 1.2 m $s^{-1}$. Systematic bias which was observed in earlier versions of the AMSR winds has been removed by algorithm refinements. Intercomparison of wind speeds globally observed by SeaWinds and AMSR on the same orbits also shows good agreements. Global wind speed histograms of the SeaWinds data and European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) analyses agree precisely with each other, while that of the AMSR wind shows slight deviation from them.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.141-148
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• 2003

We investigated the distribution of sea ice using various microwave remote sensing techniques including radar altimeter, radiometer, and scatterometer data in the part of Drake passage, Antarctica, between the area 45$^{\circ}$-75$^{\circ}$W and 55$^{\circ}$-66$^{\circ}$S. Topex/poseidon radar altimeter data were used to analyze the monthly distribution of sea ice surface area between 1992 and 1999 by using Geo_bad_1 flag or MGDR. From satellite radiometer measurements of DMSP's SSM/I, sea ice concentration was extracted during the period from 1993 to 1996. To select a value of ice concentration, normally ranging from 0 to 100%, that can be used as a critical value of judging the existence for ice, sea ice areas estimated from various ice concentrations of radiometer measurements were correlated with the area estimated from the radar altimeter measurements. As a result, 20% of ice concentration was selected, and, then this value was used to integrate radiometer data with radar altimeter and ERS-1/2 scatterometer data. To indirectly verify the result, the last 20 year's sea ice concentration was correlated with surface temperature data near Esper-anza Observation Station. The two data showed a high correlation coefficient of 0.86. The amount of sea ice and temperature variation were found to be closely related in the study area, and this indirectly verifies the result of this study. We provided a method to judge the existence of sea ice from ice concentration of satellite radiometer data and suggested a method to monitor more detailed temporal and spatial variation of sea ice distribution by integra-tion of various microwave remote sensing techniques.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.191-201
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• 2011

Soybean has widely grown for its edible bean which has numerous uses. Microwave remote sensing has a great potential over the conventional remote sensing with the visible and infrared spectra due to its all-weather day-and-night imaging capabilities. In this investigation, a ground-based polarimetric scatterometer operating at multiple frequencies was used to continuously monitor the crop conditions of a soybean field. Polarimetric backscatter data at L, C, and X-bands were acquired every 10 minutes on the microwave observations at various soybean stages. The polarimetric scatterometer consists of a vector network analyzer, a microwave switch, radio frequency cables, power unit and a personal computer. The polarimetric scatterometer components were installed inside an air-conditioned shelter to maintain constant temperature and humidity during the data acquisition period. The backscattering coefficients were calculated from the measured data at incidence angle $40^{\circ}$ and full polarization (HH, VV, HV, VH) by applying the radar equation. The soybean growth data such as leaf area index (LAI), plant height, fresh and dry weight, vegetation water content and pod weight were measured periodically throughout the growth season. We measured the temporal variations of backscattering coefficients of the soybean crop at L, C, and X-bands during a soybean growth period. In the three bands, VV-polarized backscattering coefficients were higher than HH-polarized backscattering coefficients until mid-June, and thereafter HH-polarized backscattering coefficients were higher than VV-, HV-polarized back scattering coefficients. However, the cross-over stage (HH > VV) was different for each frequency: DOY 200 for L-band and DOY 210 for both C and X-bands. The temporal trend of the backscattering coefficients for all bands agreed with the soybean growth data such as LAI, dry weight and plant height; i.e., increased until about DOY 271 and decreased afterward. We plotted the relationship between the backscattering coefficients with three bands and soybean growth parameters. The growth parameters were highly correlated with HH-polarization at L-band (over r=0.92).

• Proceedings of the KSRS Conference
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.1359-1361
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• 2003

A set of microwave remote sensing data collected with the newly developed UMass Imaging Wind and Rain Airborne Profiler (IWRAP) during the 2002 Atlantic Hurricane Season was analyzed to further our understanding of the effect of precipitation on scatterometer wind vector retrieval. Coincident surface wind speed and precipitation measurements were provided by the UMass Simultaneous Frequency Microwave Radiometer (SFMR). The differences between the wind estimations from IWRAP and SFMR under precipitation conditions of 0-100mm/hr and wind speed of 0-60m/s was calculated, from which the effect of precipitation on the wind vector retrieval using scatterometry is analyzed qualitatively.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.16-22
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• 2012

In this study, we setup a ground-based scatterometer using an antenna of which the center frequency is 9.5 GHz (X-band), and measured radar backscatterings from air/ice and ice/water interfaces to extract ice thickness. Both of air/ice and ice/water interfaces make strong radar backscatterings and so we can clearly identify two peaks in measured data by scatterometer. By using the distance of two peaks and refractive index of ice, we confirmed that it is possible to measure ice thickness. Field survey was performed at the downstream of Jiam River flowing into Chuncheon Lake. We measured radar backscattering from river ice along a survey path and extracted ice thickness. The ice thickness map of the downstream of Jiam River was produced by using kriging which is one of well known interpolation methods. The ice thickness was about 50 cm along the mainstream while ice was thin as 30 ~ 40 cm at a fast-flowing meander. Ice thickness was particularly thinner at some locations than that of surrounding areas even in the mainstream region of constant flow. This was because of impurities in ice or artificially formed refrozen holes after fishing. We expect that this study helps to expand utilization field of X-band SAR and airborne scatterometer system.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.23-31
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• 2013

Microwave remote sensing can help monitor the land surface water cycle and crop growth. This type of remote sensing has great potential over conventional remote sensing using the visible and infrared regions due to its all-weather day-and-night imaging capabilities. In this paper, a ground-based multi-frequency (L-, C-, and X-band) polarimetric scatterometer system capable of making observations every 10 min was developed. This system was used to monitor the wheat over an entire growth cycle. The polarimetric scatterometer components were installed inside an air-conditioned shelter to maintain constant temperature and humidity during the data acquisition period. Backscattering coefficients for the crop growing season were compared with biophysical measurements. Backscattering coefficients for all frequencies and polarizations increased until dat of year 137 and then decreased along with fresh weight, dry weight, plant height, and vegetation water content (VWC). The range of backscatter for X-band was lower than for L- and C-band. We examined the relationship between the backscattering coefficients of each band (frequency/polarization) and the various wheat growth parameters. The correlation between the different vegetation parameters and backscatter decreased with increasing frequency. L-band HH-polarization (L-HH) is best suited for the monitoring of fresh weight (r=0.98), dry weight (r=0.96), VWC (r=0.98), and plant height (r=0.96). The correlation coefficients were highest for L-band observations and lowest for X-band. Also, HH-polarization had the highest correlations among the polarization channels (HH, VV and HV). Based on the correlation analysis between backscattering coefficients in each band and wheat growth parameters, we developed prediction equations using the L-HH based on the observed relationships between L-HH and fresh weight, dry weight, VWC and plant height. The results of these analyses will be useful in determining the optimum microwave frequency and polarizations necessary for estimating vegetation parameters in the wheat.

• Proceedings of the KSRS Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.448-453
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• 2002

Remote sensing technology is one of the most powerful tools for human to know the nature and their living environment. However, before microwave remote sensing was developed and applied, remote sensing application was limited strongly by weather and time. Microwave remote sensing technology solves the problem. It makes us to have the capability to acquire information at all time of the day and under all weather condition, and make remote sensing technology be used in more wider area. Microwave remote sensing system include mainly Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), Microwave Radiometer, Microwave Scatterometer, and Altimeter (ALT). As SAR can acquire image whose spatial resolution is similar with visible and infrared image, it is paying much attention to and playing a more and more important role in earth observation. In recent year, the development of new SAR technology (multi-band and multi-polarization technology, InSAR technology, D-InSAR technology, and so on) makes SAR remote sensing go to an new stage, and its application area become more and more widely. The first Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) in the world appeared in 1960. After that, SAR and its application all developed very fast. Some radar satellites launched and run (include Seasat-A in 1978, ERS-1 in 1991, JERS-1 in 1992, Radarsat in 1995, and so on) promote SAR research and application in world greatly. China began to develop its SAR sensor and research SAR application in 1970s. After more than 30 years' research, it get some important development in sensor development data processing method, and application. Some operational systems have been used and play an important role. This paper will introduce the development of SAR technology and its application in China.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.374-383
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• 2010

Microwave radar can penetrate cloud cover regardless of weather conditions and can be used day and night. Especially a ground-based polarimetric scatterometer has advantages of monitoring crop conditions continuously with full polarization and different frequencies. Kim et al. (2009) have measured backscattering coefficients of paddy rice using L-, C-, X-band scatterometer system with full polarization and various angles during the rice growth period and have revealed the necessity of near-continuous automatic measurement to eliminate the difficulties, inaccuracy and sparseness of data acquisitions arising from manual operation of the system. In this study, we constructed an X-band automatic scatterometer system, analyzed scattering characteristics of paddy rice from X-band scatterometer data and estimated rice growth parameter using backscattering coefficients in X-band. The system was installed inside a shelter in an experimental paddy field at the National Academy of Agricultural Science (NAAS) before rice transplanting. The scatterometer system consists of X-band antennas, HP8720D vector network analyzer, RF cables and personal computer that controls frequency, polarization and data storage. This system using automatically measures fully-polarimetric backscattering coefficients of rice crop every 10 minutes. The backscattering coefficients were calculated from the measured data at a fixed incidence angle of $45^{\circ}$ and with full polarization (HH, VV, HV, VH) by applying the radar equation and compared with rice growth data such as plant height, stem number, fresh dry weight and Leaf Area Index (LAI) that were collected at the same time of each rice growth parameter. We examined the temporal behaviour of the backscattering coefficients of the rice crop at X-band during rice growth period. The HH-, VV-polarization backscattering coefficients steadily increased toward panicle initiation stage, thereafter decreased and again increased in early-September. We analyzed the relationships between backscattering coefficients in X-band and plant parameters and predicted the rice growth parameters using backscattering coefficients. It was confirmed that X-band is sensitive to grain maturity at near harvesting season.

• Proceedings of KOSOMES biannual meeting
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• 2006.11a
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• pp.193-199
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• 2006

This article reviews several microwave instruments employed in observation and analysis of tropical cyclones (TCs), typhoon, and hurricanes. Microwave signals are useful for observing tropical cyclones with severe storms since it isn't severely absorbed by the clouds and rain in the storm. The instruments discussed include scatterometers, microwave radiometers, synthetic aperture radars (SARs), and rain radar from space. The date such as winds, rainfall and cloud-distribution in the TCs obtained by microwave instruments provide important informations for forecasting the intensity and path of the typhoon. For example, there're wind-distribution provided by SSM/I which has a wide swath, detailed wind fields from ERS-1, 2 scatterometers and RADARSAT-1 SAR and TRMM's rain radar pro 떠 ding high resolution. Operational satellite instruments lunched recently have improved upon the problems of low resolution and narrow swath indicated at the beginning microwave remote sensing. Understanding and practical using sufficiently about the microwave instruments will serve for searching the features such as generation and development of the TCs.