Spaceborne and Airborne SAR for Target Detection and Flood Monitoring

The Spaceborne Imaging Radar-c/X-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SIR-C/X-SAR) mission was a cooperative endeavor of the United States, Germany, and Italy. The SIR-C/X-SAR scientific research program was a large international cooperative program of radar for Earth observation in which 13 countries participated, including China. SIR-C/X-SAR, with the ability to acquire polarimetric SAR and integerometric SAR data, was the first spaceborne radar to operate simultaneously at several frequencies andpolarizations, representing the most advanced civilian SAR system for Earth observation. This paper will present some results of the SIR-C/X-SAR program made in China. The emphasis is placed on aerial and ground synchronous experiments with SIR-C/X-SAR overpasses, SAR penetration studies for dry sands, and SIR-C/X-SAII data applications in relevant fields and different areas, e.g., discovering the volcanoes of the Kunlun Mountains, detecting geological features underneath vegetation canopies, and revealing the Great Wall segments of the Ming and Sui dynasties. The paper also introduces the use of the Chinese airborne L-band SAR system, developed by the Chinese High Technology Program, for flood