Use of Seasat satellite radar imagery for the detection of standing water beneath forest vegetation

The Seasat synthetic aperture radar, operating at a 23-cm, L-band wavelength, detected anomalous tonal patterns in areas having relatively uniform vegetable canopy. These anomalously high radar returns were shown to be related more to the underlying terrain (areas of standing water) than to the vegetation canopy. These results show that L-band radars, imaging forested terrain in a Seasat configuration, are sensitive to gross changes in vegetation, and may even penetrate the vegetation canopy, providing an unmistakable radar signature. Properly designed space imaging radar shuttle experiments, using multiple frequency and polarization radars of various depression angles, may provide documentation for a flood-monitoring capability. Height, configuration, and density of the biomass in conjunction with frequency and incidence angle of the imaging system are shown to be important factors in formulating a backscatter model, but the relative significance of each is yet to be determined.