Influence of Temporal Baseline on X-band Repeat-pass Coherence for Crop Monitoring

Abstract:
A series of X-band images acquired by TerraSAR-X, TanDEM-X and PAZ in the same orbit configuration over an agricultural area has been exploited to assess the potential of repeat-pass coherence for crop monitoring. Temporal baselines of different length are considered. The shorter temporal baselines are less affected by temporal decorrelation outside the growing season. Then, depending on the physical features of the plants, coherence decreases to a minimum level at the middle of the cultivation cycle, increasing again after harvest. The minimum coherence depends on the temporal baseline for short crops, whereas it is the same for tall ones.