Association of radar backscatter with biophysical characteristics of Australian forests
Abstract
A simple procedure is used to provide relative calibration of a SIR-B (Shuttle Imaging Radar B) multiple-incidence-angle data set, leading to backscatter dependence on incidence angle, consistent with a double-bounce interpretation of forest scattering. Specifically, to the extent that backscattering from new plantings can be considered to be reasonably Lambertian, the results obtained lend support to a double-bounce interpretation as the dominant scattering mechanism from mature forest stands at L-band. A backscatter model based on a dihedral corner reflector is shown to explain the calibrated SIR-B data.