Calibration of Bonanza Creek, Alaska, SAR imagery using along-track calibration targets

Calibration of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data acquired by the NASA/JPL DC-8 SAR at the Bonanza Creek Experimental Forest near Fairbanks, Alaska is accomplished using calibration targets located down-track from the area of primary interest. Poor accessibility and a general lack of suitable background area at Bonanza Creek made calibration of the Bonanza Creek data impossible using targets located within these scenes. It is shown how L-band Bonanza Creek data from March 13, 1988 and March 19, 1988 were calibrated. The calibration is both radiometric and polarimetric. Calibration techniques, including the types of targets, their deployment methods, and ground conditions affecting the calibration, are briefly described. Weather conditions changed markedly between the 13th and the 19th, resulting in a change in the radar data. Radar parameters are measured for various terrain types on both dates to show the effects of the changing environment. Surfaces with similar scattering characteristics at both Fairbanks and Bonanza Creek are compared on the same date in order to demonstrate the degree of stability which the NASA/JPL SAR showed for the data sets.