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At least 199 records · Page 11

The Tukey algorithm for enhancing MST radar data

One of the most troublesome features in MSR (mesosphere stratosphere troposphere) velocity measurements is the determination of unwanted scatterer whose velocity is different from that of the surrounding atmosphere. Aircraft seen in the sidelobes of the antenna are the principal problem. Because coherent integration essentially eliminates echoes with line of sight velocities greater than 10 or 20 m/s, aircraft are seen only when their flight path is almost perpendicular to the line of sight. Then, they give large returns whose velocities may be positive or negative, and certainly different from that of the surrounding air. The glitches in the minute by minute velocity records are quite troublesome in that they may distort the statistics of the velocity. An objective way is therefore needed to remove sporadic points of this kind. For this purpose, the Tukey algorithm is appropriate and has some advantages over averaging. The Tukey algorithm, applied to a data array, uses for each data point the median of it and the two points surrounding it. If the three points form a monotonically increasing or decreasing sequence, the original point is copied with change. However, if the central point is remote from the other two, it is replaced by whichever of the two surrounding points is closest in value. The greatest effect of the Tukey algorithm is on data where the successive points are uncorrelated. Examples are given.

Bowhill, S. A.↗

Parametric analysis of synthetic aperture radar data for characterization of deciduous forest stands

The SAR sensor parameters that affect the estimation of deciduous forest stand characteristics were examined using data sets for the Gulf Coastal Plain region, acquired by the NASA/JPL multipolarization airborne SAR. In the regression analysis, the mean digital-number values of the three polarization data are used as the independent variables to estimate the average tree height (HT), basal area (BA), and total-tree biomass (TBM). The following results were obtained: (1) in the case of simple regression and using 28 plots, vertical-vertical (VV) polarization yielded the largest correlation coefficients (r) in estimating HT, BA, and TBM; (2) in the case of multiple regression, the horizontal-horizontal (HH) and VV polarization combination yielded the largest r value in estimating HT, while the VH and HH polarization combination yielded the largest r values in estimating BA and TBM. With the addition of a third polarization, the increase in r values is insignificant.

Wu, Shih-Tseng↗

Low-pass spatial filtering of satellite radar data

Thirty-four low-pass spatial filter treatments were applied to a multi-angle SIR-B data set to reduce speckle effects and improve classification performance. These treatments were based on four algorithms: square mean, separable mean, square median, and separable recursive median. The filtered images were evaluated using both quantitative and qualitative techniques. It was determined that the square median algorithm implemented at two iterations with a window size of 3 by 3 produced the best overall results with the 28.5-m SIR-B data.

Mueller, Paul W.↗

Parametric analysis of synthetic aperture radar data for the study of forest stand characteristics

A parametric analysis of a Gulf Coast forest stand was performed using multipolarization, multipath airborne SAR data, and forest plot properties. Allometric equations were used to compute the biomass and basal area for the test plots. A multiple regression analysis with stepwise selection of independent variables was performed. It is found that forest stand characteristics such as biomass, basal area, and average tree height are correlated with SAR data.

Wu, Shih-Tseng↗

Multi-temporal airborne synthetic aperture radar data for crop classification

This paper presents an approach to the classification of crop type using multitemporal airborne SAR data. Following radiometric correction of the data, the accuracy of a per-field crop classification reached 90 percent for three classes using data acquired on four dates. A comparable accuracy of 88 percent could be obtained for a classification of the same classes using data acquired on only two dates. Increasing the number of classes from three to seven reduced the classification accuracies to 55 percent and 69 percent when using data from two and four dates respectively.

Foody, G. M.↗

Wave propagation in the marginal ice zone - Model predictions and comparisons with buoy and synthetic aperture radar data

Ocean wave dispersion relation and viscous attenuation by a sea ice cover are studied for waves propagating into the marginal ice zone (MIZ). The Labrador ice margin experiment (LIMEX), conducted on the MIZ off the east coast of Newfoundland, Canada in March 1987, provided aircraft SAR imagery, ice property and wave buoy data. Wave energy attenuation rates are estimated from SAR data and the ice motion package data that were deployed at the ice edge and into the ice pack, and compared with a model. It is shown that the model data comparisons are quite good for the ice conditions observed during LIMEX 1987.

Liu, Antony K.↗

Lava flow topographic measurements for radar data interpretation

Topographic profiles at 25- and 5-cm horizontal resolution for three sites along a lava flow on Kilauea Volcano are presented, and these data are used to illustrate techniques for surface roughness analysis. Height and slope distributions and the height autocorrelation function are evaluated as a function of varying lowpass filter wavelength for the 25-cm data. Rms slopes are found to increase rapidly with decreasing topographic scale and are typically much higher than those found by modeling of Magellan altimeter data for Venus. A more robust description of the surface roughness appears to be the ratio of rms height to surface height correlation length. For all three sites this parameter falls within the range of values typically found from model fits to Magellan altimeter waveforms. The 5-cm profile data are used to estimate the effect of small-scale roughness on quasi-specular scattering.

Campbell, Bruce A.↗

Pipeline synthetic aperture radar data compression utilizing systolic binary tree-searched architecture for vector quantization

A system for data compression utilizing systolic array architecture for Vector Quantization (VQ) is disclosed for both full-searched and tree-searched. For a tree-searched VQ, the special case of a Binary Tree-Search VQ (BTSVQ) is disclosed with identical Processing Elements (PE) in the array for both a Raw-Codebook VQ (RCVQ) and a Difference-Codebook VQ (DCVQ) algorithm. A fault tolerant system is disclosed which allows a PE that has developed a fault to be bypassed in the array and replaced by a spare at the end of the array, with codebook memory assignment shifted one PE past the faulty PE of the array.

Chang, Chi-Yung↗

Reanalysis of Clementine Bistatic Radar Data from the Lunar South Pole

On 9 April 1994 the Clementine spacecraft high-gain antenna was aimed toward the Moon's surface and the resulting 13-cm wavelength radio echoes were received on Earth. Using these data, we have found that the lunar surface generally follows a Lambertian bistatic scattering function sigma(sub 0) = K(sub D)cos(theta(sub i) with K(sub D) approx. 0.003 for the opposite (expected) sense of circular polarization and K(sub D) approx. 0.001 for the same (unexpected) sense. But there are important deviations-of up to 50% in some parts of the echo spectrum-from this simple form. Based on an earlier analysis of these same data, Nozette et al. claimed detection of an enhancement in echoes with right circular polarization from regions near the South Pole in a near-backscatter geometry. Such behavior would be consistent with presence of perhaps large quantities of water ice near the Pole. We have been unable to reproduce that result. Although we find weak suggestions of enhanced echoes at the time of South Pole backscatter, similar features are present at earlier and later times, adjacent frequencies, and in left circular polarization. If enhanced backscatter is present, it is not unique to the South Pole; if not unique to the Pole, then ice is less likely as an explanation for the enhancement.

Simpson, Richard A.↗

Examining INM Accuracy Using Empirical Sound Monitoring and Radar Data

Aircraft noise measurements were made using noise monitoring systems at Denver International and Minneapolis St. Paul Airports. Measured sound exposure levels for a large number of operations of a wide range of aircraft types were compared with predictions using the FAA's Integrated Noise Model. In general it was observed that measured levels exceeded the predicted levels by a significant margin. These differences varied according to the type of aircraft and also depended on the distance from the aircraft. Many of the assumptions which affect the predicted sound levels were examined but none were able to fully explain the observed differences.

Miller, Nicholas P.↗

Airspace Safety Threshold Study: NAS-Wide Encounter Rate Evaluation Using Historical Radar Data and ACES

Realization of the expected proliferation of Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) operations in the National Airspace System (NAS) depends on the development and validation of performance standards for UAS Detect and Avoid (DAA) Systems. The RTCA Special Committee 228 (SC-228) is charged with leading the development of draft Minimum Operational Performance Standards (MOPS) for UAS DAA Systems. NASA, as a participating member of RTCA SC-228 is committed to supporting the development and validation of draft requirements as well as the safety substantiation and end-to-end assessment of DAA system performance. With regard to the safety aspect being studied by the SC-228 DAA Safety sub-group, NASA has conducted a study using the ACES (Airspace Concept Evaluation System) simulation capability to determine: 1) the rate at which IFR aircraft encounter other IFR and VFR aircraft, and 2) the rate at which UAS aircraft encounter VFR aircraft as well as the corresponding encounter geometries. Five different separation thresholds were used (two for encounter and one each for well-clear, near mid-air collision, and closest point of approach). The results will be used by the SC-228 DAA Safety sub-group to inform decisions about the safety aspect of UAS DAA systems and future requirements development and validation efforts.

encounter geometry↗