THE MCHI DECOMPOSITION OF HYBRID DUAL-POLARIMETRIC RADAR DATA

R. Keith Raney, Joshua T.S. Cahill, G. Wesley Patterson, and D. Benjamin J. Bussey
The Johns Hopkins University/APL, 11100 Johns Hopkins Road, Laurel, MD, 20723-6099 USA
Keith Raney (k.raney@ieee.org) (410) 849-3611

In the established practice of radar astronomy,

CONTEXT
Compact polarization modes currently are being

the four Stokes parameters (S1, S2, S3, S4), lead to

implemented for Earth-orbiting synthetic aperture

child products that are used individually, of which

radars (SAR) by four national programs (India,

CPR [6] and the degree of linear polarization [7] are

Japan, Argentina, and Canada), the first of which is

well known examples. The Stokes parameters also

scheduled to be launched in January 2012. The radar

support matrix decomposition techniques that to date

data user community is relatively unfamiliar with

are relatively unknown in radar astronomy, although

analysis methods for data from this class of radars.

they are well established analysis tools in Earth-

This

analysis

observing SAR data. Techniques such as the

methodology that has proven to be effective when

entropy-alpha method [8], developed for quad-pol

applied to data from two radars in orbit about the

3x3 data matrices, are not directly applicable to the

Moon.

Lunar

simpler CL-pol architecture whose data are only 2x2

Reconnaissance Orbiter (2009-) [1], together with its

matrices. However, the grounding principle of

precursor, Mini-SAR on Indias lunar Chandrayaan-

decompositionusing two or more child parameters

1 satellite [2] (2008-9), were the first space-based

jointly to distinguish between classes of radar

compact polarimetric SARs. These radars are hybrid

backscatterapplies

dual-polarimetric,

polarimetric data in general, and to CL-pol data in

paper

describes

Mini-RF

polarizations,

an

aboard

receiving
while

applicable

NASAs

orthogonal

transmitting

linear

directly

to

compact-

particular.

circular

polarization (CL-pol) [3]. The precedent for this

architecture may be found in radars used for

METHODOLOGY

radar

The degree of polarization, m, has long been

astronomy [5]. The Mini-RF and Mini-SAR radars

recognized as the single most important parameter

offer the same suite of polarimetric information from

characteristic of a partially-polarized EM field, and

lunar orbit as Earth-based radar astronomical

is defined by

meteorological

measurements

[4],

and

m = (S22 + S32 + S42) / S1

observations of the Moon, since both types measure

(1)

the 2x2 covariance matrix of the backscattered field.

The close relationship between entropy and degree

These data are represented in convenient form

of

through the classical Stokes parameters.

experimentally [9]. The degree of depolarization (1-

978-1-4673-1159-5/12/$31.00 2012 IEEE

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depolarization

(1-m)

has

been

verified

IGARSS 2012

m) is indicative of randomly-polarized backscatter,

of the random volume over ground model, reduces

typically

radar-quasi-transparent

to an expression for data from a hybrid dual-

volumetric materials, such as lunar regolith or forest

polarimetric radar that is equivalent to the mchi

canopy. The degree of polarization m is a natural

decomposition of Eqn 3 [10].

choice fore the first decomposition variable for

that this also should be generalizable to other

hybrid dual-polarimetric data.

applications.

arising

from

Our results suggest

The Poincar ellipticity parameter is an

An alternative to could be the relative phase

obvious and the most robust choice for the second

between the received linearly polarized components

decomposition variable. It is one of the three

[3]. Like , has the advantage that it is sensitive to

classical principal components (m, , ) that are

the even versus odd bounce characteristics of the

necessary and sufficient to describe the polarized

backscatter. However, also is dependent on , the

portion of a partially-polarized quasi-monochromatic

orientation of the polarization ellipse of the

EM field of average strength S1. Further, the sign of

backscattered EM field. Thus, if there is a significant

is an unambiguous indicator of even versus odd

linearly polarized component in the transmitted field

bounce backscatter, even when the radiated EM field

(as is the case for the imperfect circularly polarized

is not perfectly circularly polarized.

field of the Mini-RF radar [11]), then a change in the

The mchi decomposition methodology has

angular orientation of any dihedral structure in the

scene could cause the sign of to reverse polarity.

proven to be an excellent analysis tool for Mini-RF

hybrid-polarimetric data. In this formulation the key
inputs are m, and the degree of circularity
sin2 = S4/mS1

A LUNAR DOUBLE-BOUNCE EXAMPLE

(2)

One situation in which there often is clear

The mchi decomposition may be expressed

double-bounce geometry at the lunar surface is the

through a color-coded image, where

backscatter from an impact craters floor and far

B = [mS1(1 sin2)/2]1/2
R = [mS1(1 + sin2)/2]1/2
G = [S1(1 m)]

wall, which together form a large natural dihedral.

(3)

The surrounding imagery arises from features that

1/2

are typical of the surface, and these reflections are

In this formulation, Blue indicates single-bounce

mapped at their appropriate distance (range) from

(and Bragg) backscattering, Red corresponds to

the radar. In contrast, backscatter that corresponds to

double-bounce, and Green represents the randomly

forward scatter from the floor of the crater to the far

polarized constituent.

wall, and then back to the radar, travels an extra

In the special case of forestry, it has been shown

distance. These double-bounce reflections will

that the entropy-alpha decomposition derived from

appear at greater range in the radar image, hence

the 3x3 matrix typical of an Earth-observing

appearing as if they come from an area that lies

quadrature-polarimetric SAR, following application

beyond the far crater rim. Such

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Radar look direction

m-delta
decomposition

(a)
Figure 1. An m-delta decomposition (a) and an m-chi decomposition (b) of floor-wall double
bounce from the crater Kies C. (26S, 26W), observed by Mini-RF at S-band zoom [11].

double-bounce signatures will be strongest when the

the radars incoming illumination. This effect

crater walls are terraced or relatively steep, where in

suggests that a three-component decomposition (m,

this context terracing or steepness depends on the

, ) could offer further insight into the detailed

age, materials, and perhaps layering exposed by the

structure of the crater wall than is available from an

generating

m-chi decomposition, thus taking advantage of the

impact.

Figure

shows

two

interpretations of such an observation. The double-

known ellipticity of the transmitted field.

bounce return is indicated unambiguously through

the m-chi decomposition (Fig 1b) by the red halo

CONCLUSIONS

at the far range side of the crater. The range extent of

The Mini-RF and Mini-SAR instruments are the

the double-bounce halo is proportional to the depth

first compact polarimetric space-based imaging

of the crater floor below the rim.

radars. Their architecture is hybrid-polarimetric,

It is instructive to look at these same data

transmitting (quasi-) circular polarization, and

through an mdelta decomposition, as in Fig 1a. In

receiving orthogonal linear polarizations and their

this case, the halo is split into two colors, red and

relative phase. The four Stokes parameters that are

blue. This indicates that the sign of has been

necessary and sufficient to fully characterize the

reversed from one side to the other, which is caused

observed backscattered EM field are calculated from

by the orientation of the axis of the floor-wall

the received linearly polarized data. The Stokes

dihedral feature relative to the linear component of

parameters can be used to formulate an m-chi

5095

decomposition of the scene, which is a new

[3] R. K. Raney, "Hybrid-polarity SAR

architecture," IEEE Trans on Geoscience and
Remote Sensing, vol. 45, pp. 3397-3404, 2007.
[4] E. Torlaschi and A. R. Holt, "A comparison of
different polarization schemes for the radar
sensing of precipitation," Radio Science, vol. 33,
pp. 1335-1352, 1998.
[5] T. Hagfors, R. A. Brockelman, H. H.
Danforth, L. B. Hanson, and G. M. Hyde,
"Tenuous surface layer on the Moon: Evidence
derived from radar observations," Science, vol.
150, pp. 1153-1156, 1965.
[6] S. J. Ostro, "Planetary radar astronomy,"
Physical Review Letters, vol. 65, pp. 1235-1279,
1993.
[7] L. M. Carter, D. B. Campbell, and B. A.
Campbell, "Impact crater related surficial deposits
on Venus: Multipolarization radar observations
with Arecibo," J of Geophysical Research, vol.
109, pp. E06009, 2004.
[8] S. R. Cloude and E. Pottier, "An entropy based
classification scheme for land applications of
polarimetric SAR," IEEE Trans. Geoscience and
Remote Sensing, vol. 35, pp. 68-78, 1997.
[9] A. Aiello and J. P. Woerdman, "Physical
bounds to the entropy-depolarization relation in
random light scattering," Physical Review Letters,
vol. 94, pp. 1-4, 2005.
[10] S. R. Cloude, D. G. Goodenough, and H.
Chen, "Compact Decomposition Theory," IEEE
Geoscience and Remote Sensing Letters, vol. 9,
pp. 28-32, 2012.
[11] R. K. Raney, P. D. Spudis, B. Bussey, J.
Crusan, J. R. Jensen, W. Marinelli, P.
McKerracher, C. Neish, M. Palsetia, R. Schulze,
H. B. Sequeira, and H. Winters, "The Lunar MiniRF Radars: Hybrid Polarimetric Architecture and
Initial Results," Proceedings of the IEEE, vol. 99,
pp. 808-823, 2011.

technique. This method facilitates unambiguous

interpretation of surface features according to single
(odd) or double (even) bounce signatures in the
polarized

portion

characterization

of

of
the

the

reflections,

randomly

and

polarized

constituents. The m-chi decomposition has proven to

be robust in the event that the transmitted field is not
perfectly circularly polarized. Analysis of lunar data
suggests

that

an

m-chi-psi

three-component

decomposition strategy should provide additional

backscatter classification finesse. These methods are
directly applicable to data anticipated from Earthobserving compact-polarimetric radars.

The authors acknowledge with gratitude the

many essential contributions from the Mini-RF team.
The project was supported through contracts with
NASA.

References
[1] G. Chin, S. Brylow, M. Foote, J. Garvin, J.
Kasper, J. Keller, M. Litvak, I. Mitrofanov, D.
Paige, K. Raney, M. Robinson, A. Sanin, D.
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T. Zuber, "Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter
overview: The instrument suite and mission,"
Space Science Review, vol. 129, pp. 391-419,
2007.
[2] J. N. Goswami and M. Annadurai,
"Chandrayaan-1: Indias first planetary science
mission to the moon," Current Science, vol. 96,
pp. 486-491, 2009.

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