Polarimetry

Polarization refers to the orientation of the radar beam relative to the Earth's surface. RADARSAT-2 can send and receive radar waves in both Horizontal (H) and Vertical (V) polarizations. This produces co-polarized signals (HH and VV) and cross-polarized signals (HV and VH).

RADARSAT-2 will be the first commercial spaceborne SAR satellite to offer quadrature polarization (quad-pol) capabilities, producing fully polarimetric datasets (HH, HV, VV and VH). In other words, 4 different polarization channels are acquired per image. Quad-pol data retains both the amplitude and phase information of the radar waves, and the relative phase between the channels is also measured.

The information provided in a quad-pol dataset improves both the ability to characterize physical properties of objects and the retrieval of bio- or geophysical properties of the Earth's surface.

RADARSAT-2 Offers

Selective Polarization: (HH and HV) or (VH and VV)

Single Polarization: (HH)

Quad-Polarization: (HH, VV, HV, VH)

Selective Single Polarization: (HH) or (HV) or (VH) or (VV)