Julio Jacobo-Berlles

Classification of SAR images using a general and tractable multiplicative model

Among the frameworks for Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) image modelling and analysis, the multiplicative model is very accurate and successful. It is based on the assumption that the observed random field is the result of the product of two independent and unobserved random fields: X and Y. The random field X models the terrain backscatter and, thus, depends only on the type of area to which each pixel belongs. The random field Y takes into account that SAR images are the result of a coherent imaging system that produces the well-known phenomenon called speckle noise, and that they are generated by performing an average of n statistically independent images (looks) in order to reduce the noise effect. There are various ways of modelling the random field X; recently the Γ−1/2(α, γ) distribution was proposed. This, with the usual Γ1/2(n, n) distribution for the amplitude speckle, resulted in a new distribution for the return: the (α, γ, n) law. The parameters α and γ depend only on the ground truth, and n is the number of looks. The advantage of this distribution over the ones used in the past is that it models very well extremely heterogeneous areas like cities, as well as moderately heterogeneous areas like forests and homogeneous areas like pastures. As the ground data can be characterized by the parameters α and γ, their estimation in each pixel generates parameter maps that can be used as the input for classification methods. In this work, moment estimators are used on simulated and on real SAR images and, then, a supervised classification technique (Gaussian maximum likelihood) is performed and evaluated. Excellent classification results are obtained.

Monitoring flood condition in marshes using EM models and Envisat ASAR observations

This paper discusses the contribution of multipolarization radar data in monitoring flooding events in wetland areas of the Delta of the Parana/spl acute/ River, in Argentina. The discussion is based on the comparison between radiative transfer model simulations and ENVISAT Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar observations of two types of marshes: junco and cortadera. When these marshes are flooded, the radar response changes significantly. The differences in radar response between the flooded and nonflooded condition can be related to changes in the amount of emerged biomass. Based on this, we propose a vegetation-dependent flooding prediction scheme for two marsh structures: nearly vertical cylinders (junco-like) and randomly oriented discs (cortadera-like).

Accuracy of edge detection methods with local information in speckled imagery

Abstract We compare the accuracy of five approaches for contour detection in speckled imagery. Some of these methods take advantage of the statistical properties of speckled data, and all of them employ active contours using B-spline curves. Images obtained with coherent illumination are affected by a noise called speckle, which is inherent to the imaging process. These data have been statistically modeled by a multiplicative model using the G0 distribution, under which regions with different degrees of roughness can be characterized by the value of a parameter. We use this information to find boundaries between regions with different textures. We propose and compare five strategies for boundary detection: three based on the data (maximum discontinuity on raw data, fractal dimension and maximum likelihood) and two based on estimates of the roughness parameter (maximum discontinuity and anisotropic smoothed roughness estimates). In order to compare these strategies, a Monte Carlo experience was performed to assess the accuracy of fitting a curve to a region. The probability of finding the correct edge with less than a specified error is estimated and used to compare the techniques. The two best procedures are then compared in terms of their computational cost and, finally, we show that the maximum likelihood approach on the raw data using the G0 law is the best technique.

Polarimetric SAR image segmentation with B-splines and a new statistical model

We present an approach for polarimetric Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) image region boundary detection based on the use of B-Spline active contours and a new model for polarimetric SAR data: the

Feature extraction in speckled imagery using dynamic B‐spline deformable contours under the model

{\mathcal{G}_P^H}

A New Image Quality Index for Objectively Evaluating Despeckling Filtering in SAR Images

distribution. In order to detect the boundary of a region, initial B-Spline curves are specified, either automatically or manually, and the proposed algorithm uses a deformable contours technique to find the boundary. In doing this, the parameters of the polarimetric

S-PTAM

{\mathcal{G}_P^H}