Study Of Ship Detection Using Multi-polarimetric SAR Image Under Varying Ocean Wind Conditions

With the increasing amount of Polarimetric SAR data sources and theavailability for their commercial request, investigations about oceanicpolarimetric information retrieval and related applications could be conducted.We aimed to study the ship detection performance using polarimetric SARunder varying ocean wind conditions, so it will include the ocean wind retrieval,ship detection by polarimetric SAR, and the relationship between these twoaspects. In this dissertation, from the basic polarimetric information processingprinciples, the ocean surface microwave backscattering properties and thepolarimetric target detection models, we conducted a thorough investigationinto the methods of polarimetric SAR wind field retrieval and ship targetdetection, and the interaction between the two aspects, with the utilization ofpolarimetric SAR data from SIR-C, ENVISAT/ASAR, and ALOS/PALSAR.Firstly, we briefly introduced the basis of polarimetric SAR informationprocessing techniques and the ocean radar polarimetric backscattering theoryof imaging radar in the sectionⅡ.Secondly in the sectionⅢ, we introduced the general methodology ofoceanic wind field retrieval from SAR images, and validated it through usingENVISAT/ASAR IMP datasets. Then, by using the conclusion of ocean surfacemicrowave backscatter models in the sectionⅡ, we set up a comparison of different polarization ratio model rectifications, in order to propose a favorableoceanic wind field retrieval method on polarimetric SAR datasets.Thirdly in the sectionⅣ, we discussed the ship detection algorithms ofpolarimetric SAR, from two different perspectives, the polarimetric channelsfusion and polarimetric decomposition. In either aspect, we made comparisonsbetween ship detection algorithms of dual-and quad-polarization SAR data,and proposed the practical detection schemes, which have been partiallyvalidated in this section by using real spaceborne polarimetric SAR datasets,including SIR-C, ENVISAT/ASAR AP, ALOS/PALSAR.Last, based on the conclusions of previous sections, the effects of oceanicwind fields on ship detection performance were investigated in the sectionⅤ, inorder to propose some reference for the design of the ship detection systems.