Surface roughness is one of the most important factors that contribute to the brightness or darkness of objects in a SAR image. Surface roughness is the height difference in the surface’s imperfections. Surface structure greatly influences the appearance of an object in SAR imagery. A surface appears smooth if the height variations of the surface’s imperfections obey the Rayleigh or Fraunhofer criterion. A smooth surface produces specular reflection that reflects more of the radar energy away from the radar. A rough surface produces diffuse reflection that reflects more of the radar energy toward the radar. Controlling the surface roughness of an object provides a means to enhance or degrade the appearance of objects in a SAR image. This webinar proposes various methods be used to control surface structure that can have an immediate impact on the appearance of the images in SAR.
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