Mapping flooded vegetation using COSMO-SkyMed: Comparison with polarimetric and optical data over rice fields
The capability of COSMO-SkyMed (CSK) radar to remotely sense standing water beneath vegetation using an automatic algorithm working on a single image is investigated. The objective is to contribute to tackle the problem of missed detection of inundated vegetation by near real-time flood mapping algorithms using SAR data. The focus is on CSK because its four-satellite constellation is very suitable for rapid mapping. A set of CSK observations of an area inNorthern Italy wheremany rice fields are present and recurrent artificial inundations occur were analyzed.