A new maximum-likelihood change estimator for two-pass SAR coherent change detection

Journal Article · Mon Jan 11 00:00:00 EST 2016 · IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1109/TGRS.2015.2502219· OSTI ID:1237379

Wahl, Daniel E. ^[1]; Yocky, David A. ^[1]; Jakowatz, Jr., Charles V. ^[1]; Simonson, Katherine Mary ^[1]

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1. Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

In previous research, two-pass repeat-geometry synthetic aperture radar (SAR) coherent change detection (CCD) predominantly utilized the sample degree of coherence as a measure of the temporal change occurring between two complex-valued image collects. Previous coherence-based CCD approaches tend to show temporal change when there is none in areas of the image that have a low clutter-to-noise power ratio. Instead of employing the sample coherence magnitude as a change metric, in this paper, we derive a new maximum-likelihood (ML) temporal change estimate—the complex reflectance change detection (CRCD) metric to be used for SAR coherent temporal change detection. The new CRCD estimator is a surprisingly simple expression, easy to implement, and optimal in the ML sense. As a result, this new estimate produces improved results in the coherent pair collects that we have tested.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation
• Grant/Contract Number: AC04-94AL85000
• OSTI ID: 1237379
• Report Number(s): SAND-2015-2024J; 569615
• Journal Information: IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, Vol. 54, Issue 4; ISSN 0196-2892
• Publisher: IEEE
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION
coherent change detection
maximum likelihood estimator
radar interferometry
synthetic aperture radar