ENVISAT ASAR in disaster management and humanitarian relief

Urs Wegmller, Andreas Wiesmann, Tazio Strozzi, and Charles Werner

Gamma Remote Sensing, Thunstrasse 130, 3074 Muri BE, Switzerland, http://www.gamma-rs.ch
Tel: +41 31 9517005, Fax: +41 31 9517008, e-mail: wegmuller@gamma-rs.ch
Abstract Space-borne SAR has a good potential to
support disaster management and humanitarian relief
projects thanks to its all-weather capability, its
capabilities for change detection, the large existing data
archives, and, of course, the geometric and thematic
information content of the images. Basic processing
techniques, including precision image co-registration,
multi-temporal analysis, terrain corrected geocoding,
interferometry, and radargrammetry, are well developed
and operational.
This contribution is an assessment of possible roles of
space-borne SAR and in particular ENVISAT ASAR in
disaster management and humanitarian relief projects.
Relevant additional functionality of ASAR as compared
to ERS-1/2 comes from the beam-steering, multipolarization, larger incidence angle, wide-angle, and
scan-SAR capability.
I.

INTRODUCTION

A wide range of geo-spatial information requirements

arise from disaster management and humanitarian relief
projects, which can be divided into the three main
categories:
rapid mapping (i.e. making cartographic information
available for a poorly mapped area in a short period of
time)
hazard mapping (i.e. mapping the spatial extent and
the degree of damage which occurred in a hazard
event)
thematic mapping for reconstruction planning and
risk assessment
Important differences exist between the time and data
availability constraints of the three categories.
In the context of disaster management and humanitarian
relief projects, high resolution (1meter, for example
IKONOS) or multi-spectral (20meter, for example Landsat
TM or SPOT) optical imagery are usually the preferred
solution. However, data availability (including cloud cover),
cost and information content can be limiting factors of
optical imagery. With its all-weather capability and the
complimentary information content, SAR offers an
important alternative or complement to optical imagery. In

0-7803-7536-X/$17.00 (C) 2002 IEEE

the following possible roles of space-borne SAR are

discussed and SAR based product samples are shown.
II.
A.

POTENTIAL ROLES OF SPACE-BORNE SAR

Space-borne SAR sensors

Current in-orbit space-borne SAR systems include ERS-2,

RADARSAT, and ENVISAT ASAR. Furthermore, there are
archived data of ERS-1 and JERS. In this assessment the
focus is on ERS and ENVISAT. Most of what is said for
ENVISAT also applies to RADARSAT, which has been
successfully operated since 1994, and for which follow-on
sensors are planned. L-band SAR has also a good potential
in this context, but at present only archived data of the JERS
SAR are available with a follow-up sensor, ALOS PALSAR,
being scheduled for 2004. The ERS SAR and ENVISAT
ASAR sensor characteristics are summarized in Table 1. The
major additional functionality of ASAR as compared to the
ERS SAR includes:
beam steering capability
larger incidence angle image modes
multi-polarization capability
wide swath and global monitoring modes
Beam steering allows to acquire data over an area of
interest within a few days at most. The use of larger
incidence angles results in a slightly higher spatial
resolution (in across track direction), an improved imaging
geometry in hilly and mountainous terrain (reduced
foreshortening, less layover), and improved thematic
information due to the higher contrast between different
surface classes. The use of multi-polarization and multiincidence angle data will also improve the information
content of the back-scattering coefficient in some cases. SAR
stereo with ASAR has a good potential for intermediate
resolution DEM generation. Wide swath and global
monitoring modes permit larger area mapping at lower
resolution and cost. ASAR data can be used for SAR
interferometry, but there is no Tandem data. Consequently,
the use of interferometry for DEM generation is limited.
Land surface deformation mapping is possible in the same
way as with ERS. Considering the importance of a large data
archive for rapid, hazard and thematic mapping, the data
acquisition strategy of ESA is a very important factor. Much

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data in a single mode (for example IS6) is preferred, as only

such a strategy will allow to build up a similarly useful data
archive as existing for ERS. 35-day coherence is expected to
contain useful thematic information, for arid and semi-arid
landscapes and urban mapping.
B.

Rapid mapping

Rapid mapping reacts to an immediate demand for maptype information in the case of unavailability of adequate
geo-spatial information from other sources, for example to
organize international support after a natural disaster or
political conflict. The EO data used do not necessarily need
to be real-time acquisitions. Archived data may also serve
the same purpose and have the advantage of a better
availability. Examples for rapid mapping products are:
Backscatter maps
Coherence products
Digital elevation models (DEMs)
In SAR backscatter maps much of the geo-spatial
information is identified based on the features geometries
which is somewhat difficult in the case space-borne SAR for
untrained users because of the high signal noise. Using
multi-temporal SAR data allows to reduce the signal noise
and adds information on temporal variability and change.
An example of a backscatter map is shown in Figure 1.
Using ERS-1/2 Tandem data allows to generate the so-called
coherence product which is richer in information and easier
to interpret (see Figure 2). DEMs can be generated with SAR
interferometry based on ERS-1/2 Tandem data (see Figure 3)
or with radargrammetry using ENVISAT (or ERS) data
acquired over the same site under different incidence angles.
DEM heights are of interest not just as valuable geoinformation product, but also as important input to terrain
corrected SAR geocoding.
C.

A typical processing sequence for multi-temporal SAR

change detection includes radiometric calibration, coregistration of the images to a common geometry, multitemporal and spatial filtering, rationing, and change
classification, for example by simple thresholding,
geocoding, and visualization of the result. As an example a
flood map is shown in Figure 4. Coherence, as an indicator
of random displacements of scatterers within the SAR
resolution cell, and the interferometric phase, indicating
coherent displacement of the combined scattering phase
center can also be used in the context of hazard mapping.
D. Thematic mapping for reconstruction planning and risk
assessment
Thematic mapping for reconstruction planning and risk
assessment is a very wide topic which may more or less
cover all possible applications. The main information
requirements are for general mapping tasks as part of the
building up of geo-information data bases. In particular,
digital elevation models are a high priority requirement.
Furthermore, general landuse mapping tasks and EO based
products as input for risk assessment (flooding, erosion, etc.)
are very important. In this context the information quality
and cost are more important than time constraints.
Sustainability, technology transfer and education are other
aspects which are usually important in such projects.

Hazard mapping

Space-borne remote sensing and in particular SAR has a

good potential for the assessment of damages after natural
disasters and similar catastrophes. The two main
requirements are a potential to detect the change which
occurred and availability of adequate data. Multi-temporal
SAR and SAR interferometry are both well suited for change
detection [1]. One major advantage of SAR as compared to
optical imagery is its "all-weather" capability. In spite of this
advantage the delay time to the next acquisition can be quite
long. In the case of ERS the repeat-cycle is, for example, 35
days. Nevertheless, SAR sensors with beam-steering, such as
ASAR, are much preferred, in this context, as they allow to
acquire data within a few days of the hazard event. The
probability that adequate reference data are available is high
thanks to the large SAR data archives. An other advantage
of ASAR is the larger incidence angles of some image modes
which improves the discrimination of open water surfaces as
used in flood mapping.

Figure 1: Berne, Switzerland, space-map based on georeferenced multi-temporal ERS backscatter data.

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III.

CONCLUSIONS

time constraints did not allow for an evaluation of a new

techniques. Steps to improve the awareness and acceptance
of SAR based information are to present the products in a
better accessible form and to train the users in the
interpretation of the specific products, as well as the
understanding of the potential and limitations.

Space-borne SAR has a good potential to support disaster

management and humanitarian relief projects. The beamsteering capability and the larger incidence angle modes are
the most important added functionalities of ASAR as
compared to the ERS SAR. Resulting advantages are the
reduction of the delay to a data acquisition over an area of
interest upon a natural disaster or other crises situation and
the more favorable imaging geometry and enhanced
information content at higher incidence angles. The
unavailability of Tandem data and the uncertainty
concerning the building up of large repeat-pass data archives
are the main drawbacks of the ASAR.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT
ERS SAR data copyright ESA, courtesy AO3-175.
REFERENCES
[1]

So far, this potential has been strongly under-utilized

because decision makers were not enough aware of it and

Wiesmann A., Wegmller U., Honikel M., T. Strozzi,

and C. Werner, Potential and methodology of satellite
based SAR for hazard mapping, Proceedings of
IGARSS 2001, Seattle, Australia, 9-13 July 2001.

Table 1: ERS-1/2 SAR and ENVISAT ASAR sensor parameters

Function
Modes
Polarization
Spatial resolution
Swath width
Center Frequency
Swaths and
incidence angles

ERS-1/2 SAR
Image Mode
VV
30m ( 3 looks)
100 km
5.30 GHz
Single swath
23 deg.

Interferometry

35 day rep. cycles

ERS-1/2 Tandem

ENVISAT ASAR
Image Mode
VV or HH
30m ( 4 looks)
Up to 100 km
5.331 GHz
IS1: 14 22 deg.
IS2: 18 26 deg.
IS3: 25 31 deg.
IS4: 30 36 deg.
IS5: 35 39 deg.
IS6: 38 42 deg.
IS7: 42 45 deg.
35 day repeat cycles
no Tandem mode

Alternating Pol. Mode

2 out of VV, HH, HV
30m ( 2 looks)
Up to 100 km

Wide Swath Mode

VV or HH
150m ( 12 looks)
400 km

Global Monitoring Mode

VV or HH
1000m (>7 looks)
400 km

IS1: 14 22 deg.
IS2: 18 26 deg.
IS3: 25 31 deg.
IS4: 30 36 deg.
IS5: 35 39 deg.
IS6: 38 42 deg.
IS7: 42 45 deg.

Single swath:
18 42 deg.

Single swath:
18 42 deg.

Figure 2: Berne, Switzerland, space-map Figure 3: Berne, Switzerland, terrain

based on ERS Tandem Coherence heights derived from SAR interferometry
Product. The RGB channels correspond (color scale ~ 500m height difference).
to coherence (red), backscattering
(green), and backscatter change (blue).

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Figure 4: Belp, Switzerland, flood map

derived from multi-temporal SAR. The
blue mask indicates the flood extent on
25. May 1999 (for details on method and
validation see [1]). The area shown is a
sub-area of the one shown in Figures 1 to
3. Grid size is 1 km.