Assessment of Model-Based Polsar Decompositions

Model-based polarimetric decompositions are often used to generate scene classifications from polarimetric SAR imagery. The original Freeman-Durden model has been modified and improved upon multiple times over the past 2 decades. However, quantitative, in-depth analyses of these incoherent model-based decompositions have lagged in comparison. Here we assess model-based polarimetric decomposition techniques for robustness to variations of the in-scene scattering mechanisms using simulated data sets. The simulated scattering mechanisms, e.g. volume scattering model, polarimetric signal-to-noise, simple multi-bounce models, etc., are known and thus provide "ground truth." We will illustrate our results by applying select model-based decompositions to both simulated and actual polarimetric SAR imagery.