PALSAR-2 ScanSAR: Normalized Backscatter Data for Land Monitoring

PALSAR-2 ScanSAR CARD4L (L2.2) is a collection of normalized backscatter data from the PALSAR-2 satellite's broad area observation mode. The data is ortho-rectified, slope-corrected using the AW3D30 Digital Surface Model, and formatted as 16-bit digital numbers compatible with the CEOS Analysis Ready Data for Land standard. The dataset is provided by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and hosted on AWS Open Data.

Use Cases

• Land cover classification and change detection based on normalized backscatter values.
• Large-scale terrain analysis and slope correction based on integration with the AW3D30 Digital Surface Model.
• Monitoring agricultural fields and natural resources over a 350 km observation swath.
• Disaster impact assessment (e.g., flood mapping) using ortho-rectified radar imagery.

Strengths

• Data is processed to the CEOS Analysis Ready Data for Land (CARD4L L2.2) standard, indicating ortho-rectification and radiometric terrain correction.
• Imagery has a broad observation width of 350 km, suitable for large-area studies.
• Backscatter values are stored as 16-bit digital numbers with a documented conversion equation to gamma naught (dB).

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count, file formats, and data volume are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.

Provenance

Source

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)

Collection Method

Satellite imagery from the PALSAR-2 sensor, processed to CARD4L standards.

Time Range

Temporal coverage is unknown.

Freshness

Last updated date is unknown.

Geography

Spatial coverage is unknown, but the sensor has a 350 km observation width.