Forest Vertical Structure Inversion Based on Baseline Optimization InSAR Phase Histogram Technique

WU Chuanjun; SHEN Peng; TEBALDINI Stefano; YU Yanghai; LIAO Mingsheng

doi:10.13203/j.whugis20240448

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Forest Vertical Structure Inversion Based on Baseline Optimization InSAR Phase Histogram Technique

更新时间：2026-11-05

- Forest Vertical Structure Inversion Based on Baseline Optimization InSAR Phase Histogram Technique
- Geomatics and Information Science of Wuhan University Vol. 50, Issue 8, Pages: 1608-1618(2025)
- 作者机构：
  
  1.武汉大学测绘遥感信息工程全国重点实验室，湖北武汉，430079
  2.武汉大学遥感信息工程学院，湖北武汉，430079
  3.智慧地球重点实验室，北京，100029
  4.米兰理工大学，意大利米兰，20133
  5.中国科学院国家空间科学中心，北京，100190
- 作者简介：
- 基金信息：
- DOI：10.13203/j.whugis20240448
  CLC： P237
- Received：27 December 2024，
  
  Published：05 August 2025
- 稿件说明：
移动端阅览
吴传军,沈鹏,TEBALDINI Stefano，等.基于基线优选的InSAR相位直方图技术森林垂直结构反演[J].武汉大学学报（信息科学版）,2025,50(8):1608-1618.

WU Chuanjun,SHEN Peng,TEBALDINI Stefano,et al.Forest Vertical Structure Inversion Based on Baseline Optimization InSAR Phase Histogram Technique[J].Geomatics and Information Science of Wuhan University,2025,50(8):1608-1618.
吴传军,沈鹏,TEBALDINI Stefano，等.基于基线优选的InSAR相位直方图技术森林垂直结构反演[J].武汉大学学报（信息科学版）,2025,50(8):1608-1618. DOI：10.13203/j.whugis20240448

WU Chuanjun,SHEN Peng,TEBALDINI Stefano,et al.Forest Vertical Structure Inversion Based on Baseline Optimization InSAR Phase Histogram Technique[J].Geomatics and Information Science of Wuhan University,2025,50(8):1608-1618. DOI：10.13203/j.whugis20240448

摘要

采用干涉相位直方图（phase histogram，PH）技术，原则上仅需单极化、单基线（或少量干涉图）即可获取低分辨率的森林垂直结构。然而，为了应对由机载轨道不稳定而导致垂直波数剧烈变化的问题，提出基线优选的策略，通过约束模糊高筛选合适的干涉基线，重建全覆盖实验区的相位直方图结果，并基于欧洲空间局TomoSense机载全极化合成孔径雷达（synthetic aperture radar，SAR）数据集，研究验证所提方法在长波机载SAR数据下获取森林3D垂直结构与森林高度的可行性。实验结果表明，PH技术在合适的干涉基线条件下，能够获取低分辨率的可表征主导散射体特征的3D后向散射能量剖面（即森林垂直结构）；同时也能够获取一定精度的森林高度产品，以机载激光雷达森林高度为参考，P波段与L波段数据估计的森林高度均方根误差分别为4.60 m和5.21 m。研究表明，PH技术能够通过少量基线数据获取森林垂直结构，具备未来星载高分辨率SAR卫星森林监测任务中广域森林制图的潜力。

Abstract

Objectives

The primary tasks include: (1) Proposing multi-baseline optimized phase histogram (PH) technique to explore the 3D imaging capabilities of low-frequency airborne synthetic aperture radar（SAR）data for forested areas and to estimate canopy height model; (2) using a simplified physical model to simulate and explain the principles and limitations of the PH technique.

Methods

Introducing a novel technique

the PH method

for estimating the 3D vertical structure and canopy height of forested areas. The PH technique leverages the phase-to-height relationship derived from interferometric phase and vertical interferometric wavenumber to assign each pixel to a specific horizontal height layer. By accumulating the magnitude of all pixels within a given spatial window at the same height layer

it approximates the 3D backscatter profile of the forest. To address the limitations of single-baseline observations and the significant variation in vertical wavenumber caused by unstable airborne platforms

a full-baseline-based optimized multi-baseline interferometric combination strategy is proposed. This strategy restricts the height ambiguity range to obtain phase histograms that completely cover the experimental area.

Results

The results indicate that

under appropriate interferometric baseline length

the PH technique can retrieve an approximate coarse-resolution vertical structure of the forests

with the 3D backscatter power profiles characterizing the dominant scatterers. Additionally

the proposed method can provide quite good forest height estimates. Specifically

taking light detection and ranging forest height as the reference value

the average root mean square error of estimated forest height using P-band and L-band data are 4.60 m and 5.21 m

respectively.

Conclusions

Although the PH technique cannot precisely separate ground and canopy signal

it can still characterize

to some extent

the distribution of scatterer density and scattering energy across horizontal height layers within a spatial window. This relationship holds potential for further exploration in forest height inversion and biomass estimation. Overall

as a novel method for retrieving forest vertical structure with a limited number of interferograms

the PH technique could serve as a viable alternative in future spaceborne SAR satellite missions for forest monitoring.

关键词

Keywords

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