**Geographic Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing Applications**

**Chapter 5**

Provisional chapter

**Wetland Monitoring and Mapping Using Synthetic**

DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.80224

Wetlands are critical for ensuring healthy aquatic systems, preventing soil erosion, and securing groundwater reservoirs. Also, they provide habitat for many animal and plant species. Thus, the continuous monitoring and mapping of wetlands is necessary for observing effects of climate change and ensuring a healthy environment. Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) remote sensing satellites are active remote sensing instruments essential for monitoring wetlands, given the possibility to bypass the cloud-sensitive optical instruments and obtain satellite imagery day and night. Therefore, the purpose of this chapter is to provide an overview of the basic concepts of SAR remote sensing technology and its applications for wetland monitoring and mapping. Emphasis is given to SAR systems with full and compact polarimetric SAR capabilities. Brief discussions on the latest stateof-the-art wetland applications using SAR imagery are presented. Also, we summarize the current trends in wetland monitoring and mapping using SAR imagery. This chapter provides a good introduction to interested readers with limited background in SAR

Wetlands are defined based on the Canadian Wetland Classification System as land that is saturated with water long enough to promote wetland or aquatic processes as indicated by poorly drained soils, hydrophytic vegetation and various kinds of biological activity which are adapted to a wet environment [1]. Wetlands are important ecological systems which play a critical role in hydrology and act as water reservoirs, affecting water quality and controlling runoff rate [2]. Also, they are amongst the most productive ecosystems, providing food,

> © 2016 The Author(s). Licensee InTech. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and eproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

© 2018 The Author(s). Licensee IntechOpen. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use,

distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Wetland Monitoring and Mapping Using Synthetic

**Aperture Radar**

Aperture Radar

Abstract

1. Introduction

Mohammed Dabboor and Brian Brisco

Mohammed Dabboor and Brian Brisco

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.80224

Additional information is available at the end of the chapter

technology and its possible wetland applications.

Keywords: wetlands, SAR, satellites, monitoring, mapping

Additional information is available at the end of the chapter

#### **Wetland Monitoring and Mapping Using Synthetic Aperture Radar** Wetland Monitoring and Mapping Using Synthetic Aperture Radar

DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.80224

Mohammed Dabboor and Brian Brisco Mohammed Dabboor and Brian Brisco

Additional information is available at the end of the chapter Additional information is available at the end of the chapter

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.80224

#### Abstract

Wetlands are critical for ensuring healthy aquatic systems, preventing soil erosion, and securing groundwater reservoirs. Also, they provide habitat for many animal and plant species. Thus, the continuous monitoring and mapping of wetlands is necessary for observing effects of climate change and ensuring a healthy environment. Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) remote sensing satellites are active remote sensing instruments essential for monitoring wetlands, given the possibility to bypass the cloud-sensitive optical instruments and obtain satellite imagery day and night. Therefore, the purpose of this chapter is to provide an overview of the basic concepts of SAR remote sensing technology and its applications for wetland monitoring and mapping. Emphasis is given to SAR systems with full and compact polarimetric SAR capabilities. Brief discussions on the latest stateof-the-art wetland applications using SAR imagery are presented. Also, we summarize the current trends in wetland monitoring and mapping using SAR imagery. This chapter provides a good introduction to interested readers with limited background in SAR technology and its possible wetland applications.

Keywords: wetlands, SAR, satellites, monitoring, mapping
