Data Products

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 Data Products
-Outline-
❖ Radar Product Characteristics
Signal Data, Single Look Complex,
Georeferenced, Geocoded.
❖ Media Choices
CD-ROM, Data Cartridge (8mm), CCT,
Hardcopy.
❖ CEOS Standard File Format
❖ Spaceborne SARs
❖ RADARSAT-1 and -2

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 Introduction
❖ The purpose of this section is to introduce
and explain generic radar products and their
formats.
❖ For the current radar satellites the generic
radar products are very similar in their
characteristics, but have different names and
acronyms.
❖ The different product names are explained in
this section, but all cited examples are for
RADARSAT-1 products.
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 Classes of Radar Product

❖ Signal Data

❖ Georeferenced Products

◆ complex, detected, slant

and ground range.

❖ Geocoded Products

◆ detected, ground range.

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 Signal Data

❖ Raw radar echo data in in-phase and

quadrature (I/Q) format

❖ In slant range

❖ Stripped of telemetry format information

reassembled into contiguous radar range
lines

❖ Not an image, must be processed using a

SAR processor to an image product

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 Georeferenced vs Geocoded Products
❖ Georeferenced products:
◆ relative geographic location is incorporated in the
image.
◆ not corrected to a map projection and should not be
used for mapping purposes.

❖ Geocoded products:
◆ geometrically corrected to conform to a map
projection.
◆ often use ground control points and DEM to
increase the geocoding accuracy.
◆ geocoded products are usually resampled to a
standard square pixel size.
❖ See Table 3.1 for an overview of RADARSAT products

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 Table 3.1
RADARSAT Product Characteristics
Product Name RSI Name Format Mode Pixel Spacing # Looks General Characteristics
Approx. (m)
Single Look Single Look Slant Range Standard 11.6 x 5.1 1x1 Each pixel is represented by I and Q
Complex Complex Fine 4.6 x 5.1 1x1 complex data.
(SLC) Wide 11.6 x 5.1 1x1 Must be processed into an image.
Extended High 11.6 x 5.1 1x1 Retains optimum resolution.
Extended Low 8.1 x 5.1 1x1
Georeferenced Path image Ground Standard 12.5 x 12.5 1x4 Oriented in orbit path.
Fine Resolution Range Fine 6.25 x 6.25 1x1 Must be geometrically corrected if
(SGF) Wide 12.5 x 12.5 1x4 required for mapping.
Extended High 12.5 x 12.5 1x4
Extended Low 12.5 x 12.5 1x4
ScanSAR Narrow 25 x 25 2x2
ScanSAR Wide 50 x 50 2x4
Georeferenced Path Image Ground Standard 8x8 1x4 Lower sample spacing than SGF
Extra-Fine Plus Range Fine 3.125 x 3.125 1x1 Retains full beam resolution.
Resolution Wide 10 x 10 1x4
(SGX) Extended High 8x8 1x4
Extended Low 10 x 10 1x4
Systematically Map Image Ground Standard 12.5 x 12.5 1x4 SGF product is processed to North up
Geocoded Range Fine 6.25 x 6.25 1x1 and corrected to a map projection.
(SSG) Wide 12.5 x 12.5 1x4
Extended High 12.5 x 12.5 1x4
Extended Low 12.5 x 12.5 1x4
Precision Precision Ground Same as Map Same as Map Same as SGF product is corrected using GCPs
Geocoded Map Range Image Image Map and a DEM.
(SPG) Image Image Best positional product.
Source: RADARSAT International, 1995, RADARSAT Illuminated – Your Guide to Products and Services, RADARSAT
International

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 Georeferenced Products
❖ Image Products
◆ Lines and pixels oriented to radar system (e.g.
SGF, SGX product for RADARSAT).
- line direction is azimuth direction of radar
- pixel direction is range direction of radar
◆ Geographic location of pixels is approximated
based on locally spherical elliptical Earth at sea
level and typically stored in the product header.
- typically based on orbit models only, no
geocoded control points used.
- referred to as systematic georeferenced.
◆ Can be in slant or ground range geometry at a
variety of pixel spacings.
- variety of terminology used for different satellites
(see Table 3.2)

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 Table 3.2 - Comparable Products Between
Different Satellites
RAD ARSAT ERS - ERS - SPOT Landsat
Europe North
America

Precison Image Path O riented

Path Image Georeferenced
Georeferenced Systematic O R Precision
(SGF) Fine Resolution 1B
(PRI) Correction
(SG F)

Path Image Plus

N/A N/A N/A N/A
(SGX)

Geocoded Systematically
Map Image Map Oriented Systematic
Image Geocoded 2A
(SSG) Correction
(GEC) (SSG )

Terrain
Precision Map Precision
Geocoded Map Orientated
Image Geocoded 2B
Image Precision Correction
(SPG) (SPG )
(GTC)

Signal Data Raw 1 Raw 1 1A 2 Raw 2

Single Look Single Look

Single Look
Complex Complex N/A N/A
Complex (SLC)
(SLC) (SLC)

1 SAR Signal Data cannot be viewed as an image

2 Optical RAW data (SPOT, Landsat) can be viewed as an image
Source: RADARSAT International, 1995, RADARSAT Illuminated – Your Guide to Products and Services

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 Geocoded Products
❖ Systematically Geocoded or Map Image
(RADARSAT - SSG)

◆ Product is processed to “North Up” and

corrected to a map projection.

◆ Image may be converted to one of a

large number of map projections.

◆ Sample spacing remains as in original

data.

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 Geocoded Products
❖ Precision Geocoded or Precision Map Image
(RADARSAT - SPG)
◆ Product is further processed to correct the geographic
positional data based on use of Digital Elevation Terrain
Model and a number of precisely surveyed ground control
points within the imaged area.

◆ Data format and map projections same as for SSG.

◆ Sample spacings remain as in original data.

◆ Variety of terminology used for different satellites (see

Table 3.2)

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 Media Choices
❖ Radar products are available on a number of media.
◆ Digital (Stored in CEOS format)
- CD-ROM
- Data cartridge (8mm)
- Computer Compatible Tape (CCT) (9 track)

◆ Hardcopy (Available upon request)

- film
- print

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 Introduction to the CEOS File Format
❖ CEOS, the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites, is an
international organisation concerned with various aspects of Earth
Observation (EO), including data formats.
❖ CEOS has defined an international standard data format that can
accommodate all EO data.
❖ CEOS is a self defining format and thus there are many minor
format variations between CEOS format products.
❖ RADARSAT CEOS example:
◆ Consists of 5 files, only one of which contains image data, the
other 4 contain information on the image data.
◆ Tables 3.3 and 3.4 provide an overview of the structure of the
CEOS file format for RADARSAT data.
◆ Detailed descriptions of each of the 5 files follows the Tables,
using RADARSAT SGX as the example.

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 Table 3.3
Example CEOS File Format
(SGF, SGX, SLC)
Volume Directory File Volume Descriptor
File Pointer Record
Text Record
SAR Leader File
(see Table 3.4)

Descriptor Record
SAR Data File
Processed Data

SAR Trailer File Descriptor Record

Null Volume Directory File Null Volume Descriptor

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 Table 3.4
Example CEOS File Format
(SGF, SGX, SLC)
Volume Directory File Descriptor Record
Data Set Summary
Data Quality Summary
SAR Leader File
Signal Data Histogram
Processed Data (16-bit) Histogram
SAR Data File Detailed Processing Parameters
Platform Position Data
SAR Trailer File Attitude Data
Radiometric Data
Radiometric Compensation Data
Null Volume Directory File

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 Spaceborne SARs
❖ The viewing geometry of a spaceborne SAR, in comparison to an
airborne SAR with a similar swath width, varies only a few degrees
and thus provides a more uniform illumination geometry over the
whole swath.
❖ Depending on the orbital parameters, a spaceborne SAR can collect
data more quickly over larger areas than airborne systems.
❖ Frequency of coverage is set by orbit constraints and imaging modes
of the radar.
❖ Revisit for typical spaceborne SAR is between 3-35 days.
❖ Corrections must be made in processing for the effects of earth
curvature, earth rotation and orbital variations.
❖ The first civilian spaceborne SAR was SEASAT (USA) in 1978,
followed by Almaz (USSR/Russia), ERS-1 (Europe), J-ERS-1
(Japan), ERS-2 (Europe) and RADARSAT-1 (Canada).
❖ Tables 3.5 and 3.6 provide an overview of the characteristics of the
orbital SAR systems.

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 Table 3.5
Past Orbital SAR Systems
Parameters Seasat SIR-A SIR-B Almaz SIR-C/X SAR ERS-1 JERS-1

Country USA USA USA USSR USA Europe Japan

Nov
Launch Date Jun ‘78 Oct ‘84 Mar ‘91 Apr ‘94 Jul ’91 Feb ‘92
‘81
3 2.5
Lifetime (design) 8 days 2 years each 11 days 3 years 2 years
months days
Band L L L S L, C, X C L

Wavelength (cm) 23.5 23.5 23.5 10 23.9, 5.7, 9.6 5.7 23.5
L and C Quad Pol
Polarization HH HH HH HH VV HH
X (VV)
Nominal Incident
23 50 15 - 64 30 - 60 15 - 50 23 38
Angle (°)
Nominal Ground
25 40 25 15 - 30 10 - 26 26 18
Range Resolution (m)
Nominal Azimuth
25 40 17 – 58 15 30 28 18
Resolution (m)
No. of Looks 4 6 4 >4 4 3 3

Swath Width (km) 100 50 10 - 60 20 - 45 15 – 60 100 75

Repeat Cycle (days) 17, 3 nil nil nil nil 3, 35, 176 44

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 Table 3.6
Current and Planned Orbital SAR Systems
Envisat 1 ALOS
Parameters ERS-2 RADARSAT 1 SAOCOM RADARSAT 2
ASAR PALSAR

Country Europe Canada Europe Japan Argentina Canada

Launch Date Apr ‘95 Nov. 1995 2002 2002 2003 2003
Lifetime
3 years 5 years 5 years 3-5 years 5 years 5 years
(design)
Band C C C L L C
Wavelength
5.7 5.7 5.6 23.6 23 5.6
(cm)
Polarization VV HH Note 1 Note 2 Note 3 Note 4
Nominal
Incident Angle 23 10 – 59 15 – 45 8-60 15-40 10 – 60
(°)
Nominal
Ground Range 26 10 – 100 30 – 1000 10-100 10-100 3 – 100
Resolution (m)
Nominal
Azimuth 28 9 – 100 30 – 1000 10-100 10-100 3 – 100
Resolution (m)
No. of Looks 3 1–8 8 2-8 2-8 1–8
Swath W idth
100 50 – 500 60 – 405 30-350 35-360 10 – 500
(km)
Repeat Cycle
35 24 35 46 7 24
(days)

1- Envisat polarizations HH or VV or HH+VV or HH+HV or VV+VH

2- ALOS PALSAR polarizations HH or VV or HH+HV or VV+VH or HH+HV+VH+VV
3- SAOCOM polarizations HH or VV or HH+HV or VV+VH or HH+HV+VH+VV
4- RADARSAT-2 polarizations HH or VV or HV or VH or HH+HV or VV+VH or HH+HV+VH+VV
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 RADARSAT 1
❖ Canada’s first Earth observation satellite, RADARSAT 1, was
launched in November of 1995.
❖ The radar is C-band (5.3 GHz, 5.66 cm wavelength) with HH
polarization.
❖ The system has six imaging modes with a diverse range of
incident angles and swath widths as illustrated in Figure 3.1.
❖ Technical details of the SAR imaging modes are shown in
Table 3.7.
❖ More flexibility in image resolution, incident angles and swath
width are possible with this system compared to other
operational SAR systems
– Nominal ground resolution ranges from 8 - 100 metres
– Incident angles range from 10 – 59 degrees
– Swath width ranges from 50 – 500 km

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 Figure 3.1
RADARSAT 1 SAR Imaging Modes

Extended
- Low incidence

Satellite ground
track

Extended
ScanSAR
Wide - High incidence

Standard

Fine

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 Table 3.7
RADARSAT-1 SAR Imaging Modes
APPROXIMATE NOMINAL APPROXIMATE NUMBER OF
a
MODE BEAM & INCIDENT ANGLES GROUND AREA PROCESSED
POSITION (DEGREES) RESOLUTION (M) (KM) LOOKS
Fine F1 near 36.4 - 39.6 8 50 X 50 1X1
(15 positions) F1 36.8 - 39.9 SGF or SGX
F1 far 37.2 - 40.3
F2 near 38.8 - 41.8
F2 near 39.2 - 42.1
F2 far 39.6 - 42.5
F3 near 41.1 - 43.7
F3 41.5 - 44.0
F3 far 41.8 - 44.3
F4 near 43.1 - 45.5
F4 43.5 - 45.8
F4 far 43.8 - 46.1
F5 near 45.0 - 47.2
F5 45.3 - 47.5
F5 far 45.6 - 47.8
Standard Mode S1 20 - 27 25 100 x 100 1x4
(7 beams) S2 24 - 31 SGF or SGX
S3 30 - 37
S4 34 - 40
S5 36 - 42
S6 41 - 46
S7 45 - 49

SGF = SAR Georeferenced Fine Resolution Product = Path Image aGround range resolution
SGX = SAR Georeferenced Extra Fine Resolution Product = Path Image Plus varies across the swath.
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 Table 3.7 (cont’d)
RADARSAT-1 SAR Imaging Modes
APPROXIMATE NOMINAL APPROXIMATE NUMBER OF
a
MODE BEAM & INCIDENT ANGLE GROUND AREA PROCESSED
POSITION (DEGREES) RESOLUTION (M) (KM) LOOKS
Wide W1 20 - 31 30 165 x 165 1x4
(3 positions) W2 31 - 39 150 x 150 SGF or SGX
W3 39 - 45 130 x 130
ScanSAR Narrow SCNA 20 - 40 50 300 x 300 2x2
SCNB 31 - 46 SCN
ScanSAR Wide SCWA 20 - 49 100 500 x 500 2x4
SCWB 20 - 46 450 x 450 SCW
Extended High EH1 49 - 52 25 75 x 75 1x4
(6 beams) EH2 50 - 53 SGF or SGX
EH3 52 - 55
EH4 54 - 57
EH5 56 - 58
EH6 57 - 59
Extended Low EL1 10 - 23 30 170 x 170 1x4
SGF or SGX

SGF = SAR Georeferenced Fine Resolution Product (Path Image) aGround range resolution
SGX = SAR Georeferenced Extra Fine Resolution Product (Path Image Plus) varies across the swath.
SCN = ScanSAR Narrow Beam Product (Path Image)
SCW = ScanSAR Wide Beam Product (Path Image)

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 RADARSAT 2
❖ MDA selected to build, own and operate RADARSAT 2.

❖ Launch is scheduled for 2003.

❖ C-band system including beam modes of RADARSAT 1
as outlined in Figure 3.1 with significant extensions.
❖ RADARSAT 2 has several major improvements over
RADARSAT 1:
◆ Polarizations - horizontal (HH), vertical (VV) and cross (HV,
VH) polarizations including polarimetry.
◆ 3 metre resolution with new ultra-fine beam mode
◆ Increased revisit using dual-sided (left and right) imaging.

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