Delimitation of urban areas with SAR interferometry

Addresses the problem of the identification and delimitation of urban areas with SAR interferometry. Three different classification methods are investigated and applied to ERS-1/2 pairs over a part of Switzerland. The classification algorithms are based on the degree of coherence, the two backscatter intensities of the interferometric pair, and the texture of one backscatter image. ERS data acquired with different time intervals, baselines, and meteorological conditions are considered. The resulting urban maps are transformed into orthonormal coordinates and validated with the digital land use map of the Swiss Federal Statistical Institute.