| Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and interferometric SAR (InSAR) data are increasingly being used for specific operational purposes such as detailed elevation maps, detection of military targets, and coastline mapping of perpetually cloud-covered areas. One topic that has been studied extensively since the 1970's is the generation of thematic maps from this data. However, most of the relevant literature relies on highly labor-intensive approaches to yield “accurate” results for a particular scene, by fine-tuning parameters to minimize the “error” in the scene (as compared to sampled ground truth for the same scene). Consequently, it remains to be seen whether or how these data can be used to produce thematic map series efficiently and reliably in the face of varying landscapes, sensors, processors, classifiers, and output requirements. To the best of our knowledge, no one has yet examined the linked, complex, and multi-faceted issues involved in using SAR/InSAR data for this purpose; indeed, even a basis for conducting such a study has not been determined.; This study adapts recent ISO (International Organization of Standardization) standards on measurand, repeatability, and reproducibility and applies them to the study of these issues. The standards are applied to analyze the range of measurement uncertainties associated with the end-to-end processes that are involved in generating thematic maps. These processes are: (1) the physical interaction of the SAR/InSAR signal with various terrain and landscape characteristics; (2) antenna characteristics and signal processing steps in generating an image; (3) image classification models and algorithms; and (4) standard map output requirements. The primary outcome is the development of a methodology through applying the ISO principles to thematic map classification of SAR/InSAR data. The methodology is expected to aid in determining the expected quality of a SAR/InSAR-based thematic map series and its fitness for intended end uses, by associating a fuller measure of confidence with the results. |
