Radar Backscatter Characteristics of Trees at 215 GHz

Ram Mohan Narayanan, Christoph C. Borel, Robert E. McIntosh

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

14 Scopus citations

Abstract

In this paper, we present Millimeter-wave backscatter measurements of various tree types taken during the 1987 growing season at Amherst, Massachusetts. These measurements were taken with a unique 215-GHz radar system that is capable of measuring backscatter for the VV, HH, VH, and HV polarizations. We use geometrical optics to model the normalized radar cross section (NRCS) of deciduous trees and show that the backscatter can be characterized in terms of the gravimetric leaf water content, the leaf area, and the foliage crown cover. We also present data for coniferous trees, although the geometrical optics model is not applicable in those cases.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)217-228
Number of pages12
JournalIEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing
Volume26
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - May 1988

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Electrical and Electronic Engineering
  • General Earth and Planetary Sciences

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Radar Backscatter Characteristics of Trees at 215 GHz'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this