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- Documents (6)
News - Events and Proceedings
Featuring the power of Earth observation data at EGU
The European Geosciences Union General Assembly 2024 brings together geoscientists from all over the world, aiming to provide a forum where scientists and early career researchers can present their work and discuss their ideas with experts, in all fields of geoscience.
News - Operational News
Transition from FTP to FTPS for SMOS, Aeolus and Campaign data dissemination systems
As of 15 April 2024 access to the SMOS, Aeolus and Campaign data will be changed from simple FTP to FTPS.
News - Thematic area articles
Remote sensing data map impacts of natural hazards
As climate change increases the frequency and severity of natural disasters, remote sensing data can warn about extreme events and help tackle emergency situations.
News - Events and Proceedings
Scientists to showcase value of Earth observation data at EGU
Remote sensing scientists are getting ready to present innovative and exciting applications of satellite data at the European Geosciences Union general assembly which will take place from 24 to 28 April in Vienna, Austria.
News - Infographics
Discover how RADARSAT scans Earth's surface
Learn about how RADARSAT scans Earth's surface in our new infographic.
News - Thematic area articles
Monitoring water on Earth's surface
ESA's Earth observation satellites are playing a leading role in furthering our understanding of how Earth's terrestrial hydrosphere is being influenced by humankind.
Event - Conference
Living Planet Symposium 2022
Learn about the 2022 edition of ESA's Living Planet Symposium.
Event - Workshop
Coastal and Marine Applications of SAR Workshop 2003
The second in the Coastal and Marine Applications of SAR Workshop series covered a range of topics on applications of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) in coastal and marine environments.
Activity - Projects
Dragon 2 Cooperation Programme
The Dragon 2 Programme focussed on the exploitation of ESA, ESA's Third Party Missions and Chinese Earth observation data for science and applications development in land, ocean and atmospheric applications.
Event - Workshop
Space and the Arctic 2009 Workshop
Temperatures in the Arctic are rising at an unprecedented rate. This workshop looked at the needs and challenges of working and living in the rapidly changing Arctic and explore how space-based services might help to meet those needs.
News - Infographics
An overview of ESA's Third Party Missions programme
ESA’s Third Party Missions programme consists of almost 50 satellite missions, which are owned by organisations around the world. ESA has agreements with these organisations to acquire, process, and distribute data from their missions
Activity - General activities
EO Science for Society
ESA's Earth Observation Science for Society programme aims to promote scientific exploitation of satellite data, forges new scientific discoveries and pioneers new services, stimulating downstream industrial and economic growth.
News - Data Release news
RADARSAT-2 ESA archive online collection
The RADARSAT-2 ESA archive collection is now available on TPM LOADS Dissemination server.
Data - Fast Registration with approval (Restrained)
RADARSAT-2 ESA archive
The RADARSAT-2 ESA archive collection consists of RADARSAT-2 products requested by ESA supported projects over their areas of interest around the world. The dataset regularly grows as ESA collects new products over the years. Following Beam modes are available: Standard, Wide Swath, Fine Resolution, Extended Low Incidence, Extended High Incidence, ScanSAR Narrow and ScanSAR Wide. Standard Beam Mode allows imaging over a wide range of incidence angles with a set of image quality characteristics which provides a balance between fine resolution and wide coverage, and between spatial and radiometric resolutions. Standard Beam Mode operates with any one of eight beams, referred to as S1 to S8, in single and dual polarisation . The nominal incidence angle range covered by the full set of beams is 20 degrees (at the inner edge of S1) to 52 degrees (at the outer edge of S8). Each individual beam covers a nominal ground swath of 100 km within the total standard beam accessibility swath of more than 500 km. Beam Mode Product Nominal Resolution (metres) Nominal Pixel Spacing Range x Azimuth (metres) Resolution Range x Azimuth (metres) Nominal Scene Size Range x Azimuth (kilometres) Range of Angle of Incidence (degrees) Number of Looks Range x Azimuth Polarisations Options Standard SLC 25 8.0 or 11.8 x 5.1 9.0 or 13.5 x 7.7 100 x 100 20 - 52 1 x 1 Single Pol HH or VV or HV or VH - or - Dual HH + HV or VV + VH SGX 8.0 x 8.0 26.8 - 17.3 x 24.7 1 x 4 SGF 12.5 x 12.5 SSG, SPG Wide Swath Beam Mode allows imaging of wider swaths than Standard Beam Mode, but at the expense of slightly coarser spatial resolution. The three Wide Swath beams, W1, W2 and W3, provide coverage of swaths of approximately 170 km, 150 km and 130 km in width respectively, and collectively span a total incidence angle range from 20 degrees to 45 degrees. Polarisation can be single and dual. Beam Mode Product Nominal Resolution (metres) Nominal Pixel Spacing Range x Azimuth (metres) Resolution Range x Azimuth (metres) Nominal Scene Size Range x Azimuth (kilometres) Range of Angle of Incidence (degrees) Number of Looks Range x Azimuth Polarisations Options Wide SLC 30 11.8 x 5.1 13.5 x 7.7 150 x 150 20 - 45 1 x 1 Single: Pol HH or VV or HV or VH - or - Dual: HH + HV or VV + VH SGX 10 x 10 40.0 - 19.2 x 24.7 1 x 4 SGF 12.5 x 12.5 SSG, SPG Fine Resolution Beam Mode is intended for applications which require finer spatial resolution. Products from this beam mode have a nominal ground swath of 50 km. Nine Fine Resolution physical beams, F23 to F21, and F1 to F6 are available to cover the incidence angle range from 30 to 50 degrees. For each of these beams, the swath can optionally be centred with respect to the physical beam or it can be shifted slightly to the near or far range side. Thanks to these additional swath positioning choices, overlaps of more than 50% are provided between adjacent swaths. RADARSAT-2 can operate in single and dual polarisation for this beam mode. Beam Mode Product Nominal resolution (metres) Nominal Pixel Spacing Range x Azimuth (metres) Resolution Range x Azimuth (metres) Nominal Scene Size Range x Azimuth (kilometres) Range of Angle of Incidence (degrees) Number of Looks Range x Azimuth Polarisations Options Fine SLC 8 4.7 x 5.1 5.2 x 7.7 50 x 50 30 - 50 1 x 1 Single: Pol HH or VV or HV or VH - or - Dual: HH + HV or VV + VH SGX 3.13 x 3.13 10.4 - 6.8 x 7.7 1 x 1 SGF 6.25 x 6.25 SSG, SPG In the Extended Low Incidence Beam Mode, a single Extended Low Incidence Beam, EL1, is provided for imaging in the incidence angle range from 10 to 23 degrees with a nominal ground swath coverage of 170 km. Some minor degradation of image quality can be expected due to operation of the antenna beyond its optimum scan angle range. Only single polarisation is available. Beam Mode Product Nominal resolution (metres) Nominal Pixel Spacing Range x Azimuth (metres) Resolution Range x Azimuth (metres) Nominal Scene Size Range x Azimuth (kilometres) Range of Angle of Incidence (degrees) Number of Looks Range x Azimuth Polarisations Options Extended Low SLC 25 8.0 x 5.1 9.0 x 7.7 170 x 170 10 - 23 1 x 1 Single: HH SGX 10.0 x 10.0 52.7 - 23.3 x 24.7 1 x 4 SGF 12.5 x 12.5 SSG, SPG In the Extended High Incidence Beam Mode, six Extended High Incidence Beams, EH1 to EH6, are available for imaging in the 49 to 60 degree incidence angle range. Since these beams operate outside the optimum scan angle range of the SAR antenna, some degradation of image quality, becoming progressively more severe with increasing incidence angle, can be expected when compared with the Standard Beams. Swath widths are restricted to a nominal 80 km for the inner three beams, and 70 km for the outer beams. Only single polarisation available. Beam Mode Product Nominal resolution (metres) Nominal Pixel Spacing Range x Azimuth (metres) Resolution Range x Azimuth (metres) Nominal Scene Size Range x Azimuth (kilometres) Range of Angle of Incidence (degrees) Number of Looks Range x Azimuth Polarisations Options Extended High SLC 25 11.8 x 5.1 13.5 x 7.7 75 x 75 49 - 60 1 x 1 Single Pol HH SGX 8.0 x 8.0 18.2 - 15.9 x 24.7 1 x 4 SGF 12.5 x 12.5 SSG, SPG ScanSAR Narrow Beam Mode provides coverage of a ground swath approximately double the width of the Wide Swath Beam Mode swaths. Two swath positions with different combinations of physical beams can be used: SCNA, which uses physical beams W1 and W2, and SCNB, which uses physical beams W2, S5, and S6. Both options provide coverage of swath widths of about 300 km. The SCNA combination provides coverage over the incidence angle range from 20 to 39 degrees. The SCNB combination provides coverage over the incidence angle range 31 to 47 degrees. RADARSAT-2 can operate in single and dual polarisation for this beam mode. Beam Mode Product Nominal resolution (metres) Nominal Pixel Spacing Range x Azimuth (metres) Resolution Range x Azimuth (metres) Nominal Scene Size Range x Azimuth (kilometres) Range of Angle of Incidence (degrees) Number of Looks Range x Azimuth Polarisations Options ScanSAR Narrow SCN, SCF, SCS 20 25 x 25 81 - 38 x 40 - 70 300 x 300 20 - 46 2 x 2 Single Co or Cross: HH or VV or HV or VH - or - Dual: HH + HV or VV + VH ScanSAR Wide Beam Mode provides coverage of a ground swath approximately triple the width of the Wide Swath Beam Mode swaths. Two swath positions with different combinations of physical beams can be used: SCWA, which uses physical beams W1, W2, W3, and S7, and SCWB, which uses physical beams W1, W2, S5 and S6. The SCWA combination allows imaging of a swath of more than 500 km covering an incidence angle range of 20 to 49 degrees. The SCWB combination allows imaging of a swath of more than 450 km covering the incidence angle. Polarisation can be single and dual. Beam Mode Product Nominal resolution (metres) Nominal Pixel Spacing Range x Azimuth (metres) Resolution Range x Azimuth (metres) Nominal Scene Size Range x Azimuth (kilometres) Range of Angle of Incidence (degrees) Number of Looks Range x Azimuth Polarisations Options ScanSAR Wide SCW, SCF, SCS 100 50 x 50 163 - 73 x 78 - 106 500 x 500 20 - 49 4 x 2 Single Co or Cross: HH or VV or HV or VH - or - Dual: HH + HV or VV + VH These are the different products : SLC (Single Look Complex): Amplitude and phase information is preserved. Data is in slant range. Georeferenced and aligned with the satellite track SGF (Path Image): Data is converted to ground range and may be multi-look processed. Scene is oriented in direction of orbit path. Georeferenced and aligned with the satellite track. SGX (Path Image Plus): Same as SGF except processed with refined pixel spacing as needed to fully encompass the image data bandwidths. Georeferenced and aligned with the satellite track SSG(Map Image): Image is geocorrected to a map projection. SPG (Precision Map Image): Image is geocorrected to a map projection. Ground control points (GCP) are used to improve positional accuracy. SCN(ScanSAR Narrow)/SCF(ScanSAR Wide) : ScanSAR Narrow/Wide beam mode product with original processing options and metadata fields (for backwards compatibility only). Georeferenced and aligned with the satellite track SCF (ScanSAR Fine): ScanSAR product equivalent to SGF with additional processing options and metadata fields. Georeferenced and aligned with the satellite track SCS(ScanSAR Sampled) : Same as SCF except with finer sampling. Georeferenced and aligned with the satellite track. Spatial coverage: Check the spatial coverage of the collection on a map available on the Third Party Missions Dissemination Service.
Document - Conference Presentation - Poster
8_Nicole Dore_pdf.pdf
RADARSAT-2 polarimetric multi incidence angle analysis over Archaeological Site - the UNESCO ancient city of Samarra (Iraq) N. Dore [University of Rennes1 - France]
Document - Conference Presentation - Poster
7_Patruno.pdf
Multi frequency polarimetric SAR sensors analysis - The archaeological UNESCO site of Djebel Barkal (Sudan) J. Patruno [Univerisity of Rennes1 - France]
Document - Conference Presentation - Poster
4_POLinSAR2013_Ban_KTH.pdf
Multitemporal RADARSAT-2 Fine-Beam Polarimetric SAR for Urban Land Cover Mapping Y. Ban [KTH Royal Institute of Technology - Sweden]
News - Data Release news
RADARSAT data on demand
In the framework of the Earthnet programme, ESA is distributing RADARSAT data on-demand to support EO science and research activities.
Event - Training
2nd Advanced Course on Radar Polarimetry 2013
The advanced ESA course provided an introduction to the basics and advanced concepts of theory, scattering concepts, systems and applications typical of radar polarimetric remote sensing.
Event - Workshop
POLinSAR 2013
The objectives of the PolInSAR 2013 workshop were to present the latest studies and results of SAR polarimetry and polarimetric interferometry.