Change Detection Using High-Resolution Radar Imagery from Multiple Sensors

In support of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Canadian Safeguards Support Program (CSSP) is continuing to investigate techniques to exploit synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery for safeguards applications. Because of SAR’s all weather and day or night imaging capability it is well suited for time-sensitive situations when the acquisition of imagery is critical, as is the case for many safeguard applications. The paper will outline an experiment that was performed at a decommissioned Canadian nuclear facility using imagery from three different SAR sensors over a period of one month. During this study, targets and vehicles were placed around the site and were moved between satellite acquisitions. Three metre SAR imagery was acquired over the site, which included five COSMO-SkyMed, three RADARSAT-2, and three TerraSAR-X images. The results of the experiment included target and change detection and will be used to illustrate how this type of analysis could best be used for routine or emergency monitoring of critical infrastructure sites. Furthermore, the paper will show how the detected objects can be distinguished based on their size and signal distribution in the SAR image into general categories, such as smaller passenger vehicles or larger construction equipment. A summary of the general characteristics of each of the three sensors used will also be presented to highlight the main differences between them.