Evaluation of polarimetric L- and P-bands RAMSES data for characterizing Mediterranean vineyards
Résumé
In this paper we examine the potential of polarimetric data acquired by the airborne RAMSES synthetic aperture radar (SAR) in bands L and P over a study site near Bordeaux in southwestern France, with the aim of characterizing vineyards according to the row direction of the vines and their age. The discrimination between the major classes of land cover was also examined. The results show that the land cover classes are better identified in band L than in band P and that the use of polarimetric characteristics, and anisotropy in particular, improves discrimination between the classes. Lastly, the slight difference observed between young and old vines and between vines with different row directions is not sufficient to reliably classify these two factors (age and row direction).