K-distribution and polarimetric terrain radar clutter

Abstract

Polarimetric terrain backscatter data observed with satellite and airborne synthetic aperture radars (SAR) have demonstrated potential applications in geologic mapping and terrain cover classification. In previous publications on this subject, Gaussian statistics have been frequently assumed for the radar return signals to build the Bayes terrain classifer. However, abundant experimental evidence shows that terrain radar clutter is non-Gaussian, i.e., non-Rayleigh in amplitude distribution. After experimental data are analyzed, it is found that one parameter α is sufficient to characterize polarimetric terrain clutter. -from Authors