PALSAR (Phased Array type L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar)

The PALSAR is an active microwave sensor using L-band frequency to achieve cloud-free and night-and-day land observation. Because it is a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), the PALSAR spatial resolution variates from 10 to 100 meters with an option of polarimetry, making imagens with polarisations HH, VV, HV e VH.

Sensor Characteristics Mode Fine ScanSAR Polarimetric (Experimental mode)*1 Center Frequency 1270 MHz(L-band) Chirp Bandwidth 28MHz 14MHz 14MHz,28MHz 14MHz Polarization HH or VV HH+HV or VV+VH HH or VV HH+HV+VH+VV Incident angle 8 to 60deg. 18 to 43deg. 8 to 30deg Range Resolution 7 to 44m 14 to 88m 100m (multi look) 24 to 89m Observation Swath 40 to 70km 250 to 350km 20 to 65km Bit Length 5 bits 5 bits 3 or 5bits Data rate 240Mbps 120Mbps,240Mbps 240Mbps NE sigma zero *2 < -23dB (Swath Width 70km) < -25dB (Swath Width 60km) < -25dB < -29dB S/A *2,*3 > 16dB (Swath Width 70km) > 21dB (Swath Width 60km) > 21dB > 19dB Radiometric accuracy scene: 1dB / orbit: 1.5 dB Note: PALSAR cannot observe the areas beyond 87.8 deg. north latitude and 75.9 deg. south latitude when the off-nadir angle is 41.5 deg. *1 Due to power consumption, the operation time will be limited. *2 Valid for off-nadir angle 34.3 deg. (Fine mode), 34.1 deg. (ScanSAR mode), 21.5 deg. (Polarimetric mode) *3 S/A level may deteriorate due to engineering changes in PALSAR.

The PALSAR has two modes of observation, the fine mode with spatial resolution until 10m and the ScanSAR, which will enable us to acquire a 250 to 350Km (variating of the number of scaning) at the expense of spatial resolution.

PALSAR was a joint project between JAXA e JAROS (Japan Resources Observation System Organization).

Observation Modes