Interferometry - Interferometric Tools - Digital Elevation Model / Ellipsoidal Flattening

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Interferometry - Interferometric Tools - Digital Elevation Model / Ellipsoidal Flattening

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Purpose

 

The constant phase (due to the acquisition geometry) and the phase expected for a flat Earth or for a known topography (in case a Digital Elevation Model is inputted) are separated from the residual - differential - phase.

 

This functionality can be used also to generate the synthetic phase only from orbital data, system and processing parameters and the Digital Elevation Model (alternatively the ellipsoidal height).

 

Technical Note

 

The interferogram is split in two components:

-Low frequency phase, which is related to the reference Digital Elevation Model topography (or ellipsoidal height) and to the constant phase (phase variation intrinsic to the InSAR system geometry). This is the synthetic phase (_sint).
-High frequency phase, which is related to the temporal phase variations between master and slave (e.g. land changes or atmospheric variations) and to the difference with respect to the reference Digital Elevation Model topography (or ellipsoidal height). This is the differential/residual phase or flattened interferogram (_dint).

 

If a reference Digital Elevation Model is entered as input the flattening process is executed by removing the available topography. The better the reference Digital Elevation Model accuracy/resolution the better the result in terms of topography removal.

 

If a reference Digital Elevation Model is not entered as input, then a Reference Height must be provided. In this case the flattening process is executed assuming a ellipsoidal model with constant height.

 

The DEM flattening is executed by transforming the input Digital Elevation Model into the master slant range image geometry. In case of precise orbits and accurately geocoded reference Digital Elevation Model, this process is run in a fully automatic way. However, in case of inaccuracy in the satellite orbits or in the Digital Elevation Model geolocation, a Ground Control Point is required to correct the SAR data (i.e. master acquisition of the interferometric pair) with respect to the reference Digital Elevation Model. In this case the shift calculated in the coregistration process is combined with the Ground Control Point shift in order to correct the slave data according to the master data.1

 

It is important to note that:

In case the "Master input file" has already been corrected with the manual or the automatic procedure the GCP is not needed.

In case the "Master input file" is correct (i.e. the nominally geocoded image fits with the DEM), while the orbital parameters of the "Slave input file" are not accurate (i.e. the nominally geocoded image does not fit with the DEM), the GCP is not needed but the flag "Automatic Slave Orbit Correction", in the Preferences>Flattening, must be checked.

 

In case the orbits are not accurate, the differential interferogram (_dint) can contain some residual phase (i.e. residual orbital fringes). These fringes can be removed by setting the "REMOVE RESIDUAL PHASE" flag in the Preferences>Flattening, before running the flattening process.

 

When this functionality is used to make only the synthetic phase, the master and slave input files must be those coming from the interferogram generation process.  

 

Input Files

 

Interferogram File

File name of the previously generated interferogram (_int). This file is mandatory if the "Compute Synthetic Phase Only" flag is unchecked.

 

Input Master File

File name of the master Intensity data (_pwr). This file is mandatory.

 

Input Slave File

File name of the slave coregistered Intensity data (_pwr). This file is mandatory.

 

Optional Files

 

Geometry GCP File

Either a previously created Ground Control Point file (.xml) is loaded (Load GCP File) or the interface to create a new Ground Control Point file is automatically loaded (Create GCP File, refer to the "Tools>Generate Ground Control Point" for details). This file is optional.

 

DEM/Cartographic System

 

Digital Elevation Model file

Name of the Digital Elevation Model file. This should be referred to the ellipsoid. This file is optional. In case it is omitted, the ellipsoidal height and the relevant cartographic reference system, must be entered.

 

Output Projection

In case that the Digital Elevation Model is not used, t6he following parameters are compulsory to define the Cartographic System:

 

State

Definition of the country or general projection systems.

 

Projection

Definition of the projection system of the selected State. In case that a general projection system is selected in State, the Projection is automatically set.

 

Ellipsoid

Definition of the ellipsoid. This is chosen according to the selected State and Projection.

 

Hemisphere

Definition of the hemisphere. This is chosen according to the selected State and Projection.

 

Zone

Definition of the zone. This is chosen according to the selected State and Projection.

 

Datum Shift Parameters

Definition of the datum shift parameters. These are chosen according to the selected State and Projection.

 

Reference Height

In case that the Digital Elevation Model is not used, a constant ellipsoidal height must be provided. Default Reference Height is 0.

 

Cartographic Parameters

The reference parameters for some projection systems (e.g. Stereographic, Polar Stereographic, Gnomonic, Mercator, Miller, Albers, etc.) can be set.

 

Parameters - Principal Parameters

 

Compute Synthetic Phase Only

By setting this flag only the synthetic phase is generated.

 

Coregistration with DEM

By setting this flag the data will be coregistered with the optional input Digital Elevation Model.

 

Parameters - Global

 

It brings to the general section of the Preferences parameters. Any modified value will be used and stored for further processing sessions.

 

Parameters - Coregistration

 

It brings to the coregistration section of the Preferences parameters. Any modified value will be used and stored for further processing sessions.

 

Parameters - Flattening

 

It brings to the flattening section of the Preferences parameters. Any modified value will be used and stored for further processing sessions.

 

Parameters - Other Parameters

 

It brings to the general section of the Preferences parameters. Any modified value will be used and stored for further processing sessions.

 

Output Files

 

Output Root Name

Name of the output root. This file is mandatory.

 

_dint

Flattened interferogram with the associated header files (.sml, .hdr).

 

orig_

Original phase, before the Residual Phase Frequency Removal, with the associated header files (.sml, .hdr). This file is generated only when the Preferences>Flattening>Remove Residual Phase Frequency flag is checked.

 

_sint

Synthetic phase with the associated header files (.sml, .hdr).

 

_srdem

Digital Elevation Model, in slant range geometry, with the associated header files (.sml, .hdr).

 

Details specific to the Units of Measure and Nomenclature of the output products can be found in the Data Format section.

 

General Functions

 

Exec

The processing step is executed.

 

Store Batch        

The processing step is stored in the batch list. The Batch Browser button allows to load the batch processing list.

 

Close        

The window will be closed.

 

Help

Specific help document section.

 

 

Specific Function(s)

 

None.

 

See Also

 

Task, SARscapeBatch object, SARscapeBatch script example

 

References

 

A. Monti Guarnieri, C. Cafforio, P. Guccione, D. Nüesch, D. Small, E. Meier, P. Pasquali, M. Zink, Y. L. Desnos: "Multi-mode ENVISAT ASAR Interferometry: Techniques and Preliminary Results". Proceedings of EUSAR Conference 2002.

 

 

 

 

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