The discrimination between crude-oil spills and monomolecular sea slicks by an airborne lidar

Abstract

This paper discusses selected features of backscattcrig data collected in summer 1989 at C, Land P band over the Dutch Flevoland test site by the NASA/JPL airborne polarimetric SAR within the MAESTRO 1 Campaign. The dependence of the response of microwave active sensors on the different types and conditions of soils, crops and trees is analysed on the basis of polarization responses “or signatures”. backscattered powers at relevant polarizations and correlation coefficients. The scattering mechanisms that appear to be effective in controlling the copolar and cross-polar radar responses of different vegetation types at the three radar frequencies are discussed too.