The depolarization of radar backscatter from rough surfaces due to surface roughness and slopes

In this study, the depolarization of radar backscatter from rough surfaces is investigated. Short scale surface roughness and long scale surface slopes are shown to contribute towards the depolarization of the co-polarized and cross-polarized components. The study investigates the effects of both these surface parameters on the correlation between the different polarizations. The calculations show that the copolarized coherence, rho(hhvv), is most sensitive to changes in roughness and the circularly polarized coherence, rho(rrll), is sensitive to long scale surface slopes. Results appear to be consistent with measurements from controlled laboratory measurements of backscatter from rough surfaces.