Coherent Microwave Scattering from Rough Surface-capped Inhomogeneous Volumes encountered in Land and Maritime Environments

合成孔径雷达（SAR）是一种遥感技术，它发射微波辐射，并使用复杂的计算机算法将记录的地球后向散射聚焦成相应的SAR图像。这些图像揭示了地球表面的细节和特征，以及靠近它的体积层或结构，如雪，植被，人类基础设施，海洋特征，海冰和船舶。干涉合成孔径雷达（干涉合成孔径雷达）比较两个或两个以上的合成孔径雷达图像获得的同一地区，但在不同的时间，以获得微妙的变化之间的图像。SAR和干涉合成孔径雷达是海洋监视和环境监测等应用的关键技术。 虽然在合成孔径雷达技术、工艺和应用方面取得了巨大的进步，但对陆地和海洋环境中主动微波散射的一些基本过程和详细的物理过程仍然没有得到充分的探索和理解。我建议研究开放的基础研究问题，积极微波与地表物质，如植被，土壤，海洋和冰/雪的相互作用。1)研究微波如何与裸露的，未覆盖的土壤相互作用，并具有真实的可变湿度分布。了解如何从微波信号的强度和延迟中提取土壤参数，如近地表的体积湿度和垂直湿度梯度。 预期的结果将是重要的新的和改进的合成孔径雷达应用程序，依赖于土壤水分数据，从农业产量预测到雷区清理等领域。2）研究如何从地球环境的微波散射之间的相关性收购在不同的时间和不同的空间特征。 这些结果将被用来为代表性的地球环境寻找一个作为微波特性函数的一般相关模型（干涉合成孔径雷达相干性）。预期的结果将对干涉合成孔径雷达应用产生重要的下游影响，从植被参数反演到位移时间序列，例如监测滑坡运动和沉降。3）探索不同波长的微波如何与真实的移动海洋表面相互作用，包括风波纹和大浪顶部的泡沫。预期的结果将导致新的和改进的海上合成孔径雷达应用，如船只探测和定性。对海洋背景（杂波）的更好的物理描述将提高我们在高海况下检测较小船只的能力。 我提出了一个独特的分析描述，计算机模拟和实验室实验的组合，以有效地实现既定的目标。这种方法将为学术界、空间和信息技术工业以及加拿大航天局和加拿大环境部等政府组织培训高素质人员提供极好的机会。

Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) is a remote sensing technique that transmits microwave radiation and focuses the recorded backscatter of the Earth into corresponding SAR images using sophisticated computer algorithms. These images reveal details and characteristics of the Earth's surface and the volume layers or structures close to it, such as snow, vegetation, human infrastructure, ocean features, sea ice, and ships. Interferometric SAR (InSAR) compares two or more SAR images acquired over the same area, but at different times, to derive subtle changes between the images. SAR and InSAR are critical technologies for applications such as maritime surveillance and environmental monitoring. While, there have been tremendous advances in SAR technology, techniques, and applications, some of the underlying fundamental processes and detailed physics of active microwave scattering from land and maritime environments remain insufficiently explored and understood. I propose to study open fundamental research questions on the interaction of active microwaves with surface matter such as vegetation, soil, ocean, and ice/ snow. 1) Investigate how microwaves interact with bare, uncovered soil with realistic, variable moisture distributions. Find how soil parameters such as near surface bulk moisture and vertical moisture gradients can be extracted from the strength and delay of the microwave signal. The anticipated results will be important for new and improved SAR applications that depend on soil moisture data, in areas ranging from agriculture yield prediction to mine field clearance.2) Study how microwave scatter from Earth environments is correlated between acquisitions at different times and with different spatial characteristics. The results will be used to find a general correlation model (InSAR coherence) for representative Earth environments as a function of microwave properties. The anticipated results will have an important down-stream impact on InSAR applications, ranging from vegetation parameter retrieval to displacement time series e.g. monitoring landslide movement and subsidence.3) Explore how microwaves of different wavelengths interact with realistic moving ocean surfaces, consisting of wind ripples and foam on top of larger waves. The anticipated results will lead to new and improved maritime SAR applications such as vessel detection and characterization. A better physical description of the ocean background (clutter) will increase our ability to detect smaller vessels in high sea states. I propose a unique combination of analytical description, computer simulations, and laboratory experiments to efficiently achieve the stated objectives. This approach will provide excellent opportunities for training highly qualified personnel for academia, space and IT industries, and government organizations such as the Canadian Space Agency and Environment Canada.