Using ERS-SAR images for burnt area mapping in Mediterraneanlandscapes

摘要

Each year thousands of hectares of forest burnt across Southern Europe. To date, this phenomenon has been assessed mainly through the use of optical satellite imagery. However, the presence of clouds and smoke prevents the acquisition of this type of data in some areas. It is possible to overcome this problem by using synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data. A number of tests was carried out to determine the best conditions to acquire optimal SAR imagery and the procedures to enhance burnt area discrimination for fire damage assessment. The use of change detection techniques permitted identifying fire scars in time series of the European Remote Sensing (ERS) SAR images. The results suggest that ERS is suitable for mapping burnt areas in Mediterranean landscapes to assess forest fire damages.