Automatic Detection of Low-Backscatter Targets in the Arctic Using Wide Swath Sentinel-1 Imagery
Low backscatter signatures in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery are characteristic to surfaces that are highly smooth and specular reflective of microwave radiation. In the Arctic, these typically represent newly formed sea ice, oil spills, and localized weather phenomena such as low wind or ra...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IEEE
2022-01-01
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| Series: | IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9917290/ |
| _version_ | 1811250089613590528 |
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| author | Anca Cristea A. Malin Johansson Anthony Paul Doulgeris Camilla Brekke |
| author_facet | Anca Cristea A. Malin Johansson Anthony Paul Doulgeris Camilla Brekke |
| author_sort | Anca Cristea |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Low backscatter signatures in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery are characteristic to surfaces that are highly smooth and specular reflective of microwave radiation. In the Arctic, these typically represent newly formed sea ice, oil spills, and localized weather phenomena such as low wind or rain cells. The operational monitoring of low backscatter targets can benefit from a stronger integration of freely available SAR imagery from Sentinel-1. We, therefore, propose a detection method applicable to Sentinel-1 extra wide-swath (EW) SAR scenes. Using intensity values coupled with incidence angle and noise-equivalent sigma zero (NESZ) information, the image segmentation method is able to detect the low backscatter targets as one segment across subswaths. We use the Barents Sea as a test site due to the abundant presence of low backscatter targets with different origins, and of long-term operational monitoring services that help cross-validate our observations. Utilizing a large set of scenes acquired in the Barents Sea during the freezing season (November–April), we demonstrate the potential of performing large-scale operational monitoring of local phenomena with low backscatter signatures. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T15:58:56Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0ac91cb2eec042a2b926c27ed61f0ccc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2151-1535 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T15:58:56Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | IEEE |
| record_format | Article |
| series | IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing |
| spelling | doaj.art-0ac91cb2eec042a2b926c27ed61f0ccc2022-12-22T03:26:16ZengIEEEIEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing2151-15352022-01-01158870888310.1109/JSTARS.2022.32140699917290Automatic Detection of Low-Backscatter Targets in the Arctic Using Wide Swath Sentinel-1 ImageryAnca Cristea0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9021-2610A. Malin Johansson1https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0129-2239Anthony Paul Doulgeris2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9345-6896Camilla Brekke3https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6925-3127Norwegian Polar Institute, Tromsø, NorwayDepartment of Physics and Technology, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, NorwayDepartment of Physics and Technology, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, NorwayDepartment of Physics and Technology, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, NorwayLow backscatter signatures in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery are characteristic to surfaces that are highly smooth and specular reflective of microwave radiation. In the Arctic, these typically represent newly formed sea ice, oil spills, and localized weather phenomena such as low wind or rain cells. The operational monitoring of low backscatter targets can benefit from a stronger integration of freely available SAR imagery from Sentinel-1. We, therefore, propose a detection method applicable to Sentinel-1 extra wide-swath (EW) SAR scenes. Using intensity values coupled with incidence angle and noise-equivalent sigma zero (NESZ) information, the image segmentation method is able to detect the low backscatter targets as one segment across subswaths. We use the Barents Sea as a test site due to the abundant presence of low backscatter targets with different origins, and of long-term operational monitoring services that help cross-validate our observations. Utilizing a large set of scenes acquired in the Barents Sea during the freezing season (November–April), we demonstrate the potential of performing large-scale operational monitoring of local phenomena with low backscatter signatures.https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9917290/ArcticBarents seanewly formed sea iceoil spillsremote sensingSentinel-1 |
| spellingShingle | Anca Cristea A. Malin Johansson Anthony Paul Doulgeris Camilla Brekke Automatic Detection of Low-Backscatter Targets in the Arctic Using Wide Swath Sentinel-1 Imagery IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing Arctic Barents sea newly formed sea ice oil spills remote sensing Sentinel-1 |
| title | Automatic Detection of Low-Backscatter Targets in the Arctic Using Wide Swath Sentinel-1 Imagery |
| title_full | Automatic Detection of Low-Backscatter Targets in the Arctic Using Wide Swath Sentinel-1 Imagery |
| title_fullStr | Automatic Detection of Low-Backscatter Targets in the Arctic Using Wide Swath Sentinel-1 Imagery |
| title_full_unstemmed | Automatic Detection of Low-Backscatter Targets in the Arctic Using Wide Swath Sentinel-1 Imagery |
| title_short | Automatic Detection of Low-Backscatter Targets in the Arctic Using Wide Swath Sentinel-1 Imagery |
| title_sort | automatic detection of low backscatter targets in the arctic using wide swath sentinel 1 imagery |
| topic | Arctic Barents sea newly formed sea ice oil spills remote sensing Sentinel-1 |
| url | https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9917290/ |
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