Polarimetric imaging for the detection of disturbed surfaces

Abstract

This work tested the ability of the fast time-division SALSA polarimetric camera of Bossa Nova Technologies, Ltd. to distinguish disturbed from undisturbed surfaces. Earth and asphalt were imaged, and the data was processed using standard ENVI software. The polarization signature of the disturbed earth was not strong, even when processing was employed. The camera was better able to distinguish between the polarization characteristics of patched or disturbed asphalt and the surrounding pavement, particularly when maximum likelihood classification was applied. The current results indicate that the camera needs to be systematically tested for sensitivity to roughness scale and soil type and that the asphalt results need to be further verified.