Mapping of seasonal inundation in the Congo River basin- prototype study using ALOS PALSAR

摘要

This paper describes how multitemporal time series of L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data from the PALSAR sensor onboard the ALOS satellite were used to map the spatial and temporal variation of inundation of a section of the central Congo river floodplain. The type of long-wavelength band SAR carried by ALOS is uniquely suited for detection of below-canopy inundation, as the long-wavelength (23.6 cm) microwave signal penetrates the forest canopy and provides information about the spatial extent of flooding. The prototype area is the central part of the Congo basin, over which a time series of 6 consecutive ScanSAR passes acquired in 2007/2008 are available.