Conference Agenda

This study presents initial findings from the analysis of Biomass P-band polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (PolSAR) data acquired over the Tibesti Mountains, an arid region characterized by predominantly sedimentary and volcanic rocks, as well as ancient calderas. Only one P-band scene was available for this area, but it provided a valuable opportunity to assess the potential of P-band data for geological applications. We compiled comprehensive geological information, including the integration of hyperspectral datasets from Prisma satellite, and performed classification using various methods. Multiple polarimetric decompositions were evaluated for their suitability in geological mapping and compared with results from historical L-band PolSAR data (ALOS, SAOCOM).

The analysis began with the L1a SCS product, which was ingested using a Jupyter notebook reader. The data were subsequently converted to the DIM format and processed within the Python environment using SNAPISTA and SNAP software. Terrain correction was applied to ensure compatibility with GIS layers and hyperspectral data. Preliminary results allow to analyse overall data quality and reveal intriguing geological features that have not been previously documented, highlighting the unique value of P-band SAR in resolving surface roughness and subsurface structures due to its enhanced penetration capabilities. While the geology of the examined area is relatively straightforward, this work demonstrates the added perspective that P-band data can offer. Future work will focus on analyzing data from the northern slopes of the Tibesti Mountains, where the geology is more complex and includes significant metamorphic rock formations.