AN ANALYSIS OF SETTL EMENT DEI EOT ABILI! Y IN CENTRAL EUROPE
USING SIR-B RADAR IMAGERY
Dr. Floyd M. Henderson
Geographic Information System and Remote Sensing Laboratory
Department of Geography and Planning
State University of New York at Albany
Albany, New York 12222
USA
518-442-4647
ABSTRACT
An understanding of the consistencies and changes in settlement detection ability
related to radar system and environmental parameters is of potential interest to
applications oriented users as well as to those interested in improving our understanding of
basic system-target interactions. Previous efforts in radar settlement detection have
contributed to an eclectic collection of data, but few studies have been able to employ
multiple images of the same area. In this experiment, L-band, like-polarized SIR-B radar
imagery of southern Germany and northeastern France are examined. Three data takes at
three different incidence angles and two different look directions covering some 20,D00
square kilometers comprised the study area. Two analyses were performed: one of the
entire imaged areas, and one limited to similar terrain conditions to focus on look
direction effects. Errors of omission and commission were calculated and accuracies
tabulated for both tests. Results indicated that steep incidence angles were of minimal
utility, generating the highest omission and commission errors. Accuracy improved as
incidence angle increased, up to a point, and then decreased. The results obtained over
mixed terrain were not in accord with those obtained over similar terrain.
