CRUCIAL POINTS OF INTERFEROMETRIC PROCESSING FOR DEM GENERATION USING HIGH RESOLUTION SAR DATA

Abstract. Data collection for digital elevation model (DEM) generation can be carried out by two main methods in space-borne remote sensing such as stereoscopy using optical or radar satellite imagery (stereophotogrammetry, respectively radargrammetry) and interferometry based on interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) data. These techniques have advantages and disadvantages in comparison against each other. Especially filling the gaps which arise from the problem of cloud coverage in DEM generation by optical imagery, InSAR became operational in recent years and DEMs became the most demanded interferometric products. Essentially, in comparison, DEM generation from synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images is not a simple manner like generation from optical satellite imagery. Interferometric processing has several complicated steps for the production of a DEM. The quality of the data set and used software package come into prominence for the stability of the generated DEM.

In the paper, the interferometric processing steps for DEM generation from InSAR data and the crucial threshold values are tried to be explained. For DEM generation, a part of Istanbul (historical peninsula and near surroundings) was selected as the test field because of data availability. The data sets of two different imaging modes (StripMap ~ 3 m resolution and High Resolution Spotlight ~ 1 m resolution) of TerraSAR-X have been used. At the implementation, besides the determination of crucial points at interferometric processing steps, to define the effect of computer software, DEM production have been performed using two different software packages in parallel and the products have been compared In the result section of the paper, besides the colorful visualizations of final products along with the height scales, accuracy evaluations have been performed for both DEMs with the help of a more accurate reference digital terrain model (DTM). This reference model has been achieved by large scale aerial photos. Normally, it has a 5 m original grid spacing, however it has been resampled at a spacing of 1 m towards the needs of the research.