Digital Elevation Model (dem) Generation from Sar Interferometry

SAR Interferometry (InSAR) provides data that contain information relating to the phase and coherence components of the backscattered radar signals. Phase information is used to derive Digital Elevation Models (DEM). This paper presents the results of an analysis of the accuracy of InSAR DEM derived from ESAR L-band airborne repeat-pass fully polarimetric InSAR data, which were acquired over Thetford Forest, in the east of England. An area with no tree cover of about 300m by 300m in size was chosen as a test site. Then InSAR DEMs for L-band HH, HV and VV polarisations were generated. The accuracy of the InSAR-derived DEMs was deduced by comparison with reference DEMs, which were generated from field data acquired from both Global Positioning System (GPS) & spot height survey and a Lidar DEM. The Lidar DEM was acquired by the UK Environment Agency. The poster reports the results of these comparisons and some concluding remarks about the relationship between the accuracy of the InSAR DEMs, polarization mode, and the nature of the ground surface cover are highlighted.