Module 1105: Mathematics - Introduction to

Estimation Theory

Richard Bamler, Stefan Gernhardt

Remote Sensing Technology (TUM)
Overview Terms & Def. Examples I Approach Examples II

Content of Module Mathematics & Physics

Mathematic Basics (1110)

Time and Frequency (1120)
Filter Design & Aliasing (1130)
Physics (1140)
Introduction to Estimation Theory (1150)
Basic Probability Theory (1160)
Detection (1170)
Parameter Estimation Basics (1180)
Optimal Linear Estimation (1190)

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Overview Terms & Def. Examples I Approach Examples II

Educational Objective

You learn basic terms and definitions

You get introduced to the approach of estimation theory in remote
sensing
You get familiar with the topic by several examples

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Overview Terms & Def. Examples I Approach Examples II

Requirements

Basic knowledge in remote sensing

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Overview Terms & Def. Examples I Approach Examples II

Further Reading
Bamler, R., & Hartl, P. (1998). Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry. Inverse Problems, 14,
R1-R54.
Hänsler, E. (1997). Statistische Signale (2. Auflage). Heidelberg: Springer Verlag.
Kay, S. M. (1993). Fundamentals of Statistical Signal Processing – Volume 1: Estimation
Theory. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
Kay, S. M. (1998). Fundamentals of Statistical Signal Processing – Volume 2: Detection Theory.
Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
Papoulis, A. (1977). Probability, Random Variables, and Stochastic Processes. New York:
McGraw Hill.
Rodgers, C. D. (2000). Inverse Methods for Atmospheric Sounding: Theory and Practice.
London: World Science.
Sivia, D. S. (1996). Data Analysis: A Bayesian Tutorial. Oxford: Clarendon Press.

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Overview Terms & Def. Examples I Approach Examples II

Structure

Terms and definitions

Demonstrative examples I
Estimation theoretical remote sensing approach
Demonstrative examples II

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Overview Terms & Def. Examples I Approach Examples II

Structure

Terms and definitions

Demonstrative examples I
Estimation theoretical remote sensing approach
Demonstrative examples II

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Overview Terms & Def. Examples I Approach Examples II

Terms and definitions

Measurement = estimation
Remote Sensing = measurement/estimation from remote (far away)
An example from daily life: measuring the size of a room:
Using a yard stick (subtraction of two measurements)
Using a low-cost laser range finder
From a bad photocopy of a floor plan
Using step lengths

Our seemingly exact idea of “measurement” gradually degrades

towards “estimation” with considerable uncertainties (errors)

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Overview Terms & Def. Examples I Approach Examples II

Terms and definitions

Detection = decision between 2 hypotheses:

Bits in a data stream
Edges, lines, objects in an image
Salient features

Classification = decision between multiple hypotheses:

Multi-/hyperspectral classification, i.e. for mapping of land use
Classification based on polarimetric SAR data

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Overview Terms & Def. Examples I Approach Examples II

Terms and definitions

Single Parameter Estimation = estimation of a continuous-valued

parameter:
(Delay) time estimation: GPS, radar, altimeter, lidar, satellite
positioning
(Doppler) frequency estimation (radar, wind lidar)
Synchronization of signals
Phase estimation for interferometric SAR
Speckle reduction: estimation of the radar backscatter coefficient
of a pixel from the pixel and its neighborhood
Wind from SAR data of the ocean surface

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Overview Terms & Def. Examples I Approach Examples II

Terms and definitions

Multiple Parameter Estimation:

Profiles of trace gases from spectrometric measurements
(example see slide 18)
Water constituents from hyperspectral data, ocean color
Sea state spectra from SAR images of the ocean surface
Spectral unmixing of hyperspectral data

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Overview Terms & Def. Examples I Approach Examples II

Structure

Terms and definitions

Demonstrative examples I
Estimation theoretical remote sensing approach
Demonstrative examples II

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Overview Terms & Def. Examples I Approach Examples II

Coastline Detection from SAR Images

ERS-1 © ESA

different tidal situations

ERS-1 © ESA ERS-1 © ESA

Fig. 2: © DLR

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Overview Terms & Def. Examples I Approach Examples II

Maritime Security: Ship Detection

Cape Town
Dec 16, 2008
04:13 UTC

TerraSAR-X

AIS live

+ SAT AIS
TerraSAR-X © DLR

Fig. 3: Brusch et al., 2011

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Overview Terms & Def. Examples I Approach Examples II

Example Classification: CORINE Land Cover

Fig. 4-a:
CORINE:
Coordination
of Information
on the
Environment
© DLR

Keil et al., 2002

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Overview Terms & Def. Examples I Approach Examples II

CORINE: Classes of Land Cover (in German)

Fig. 4-b: legend

for CORINE
© DLR

Keil et al., 2002

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 Overview Terms & Def. Examples I Approach Examples II

Ice Surface Velocity from TerraSAR-X

(L)

N (L)
Nimrod Marsh Gl.
Glacier 2.5

Kon-Tiki

[m/d]
Nunatak
© Jeff Vervoort

255.5 0.0 (T)

(T) GL
219.0

Plug-like 182.5

shape: 146.0
[m/a]

strong side 109.5

drag
73.0

SE NW 36.5

0.0

Ross Ice Shelf 0 km 30

Fig. 5/6: Jezek et al., 2011
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Overview Terms & Def. Examples I Approach Examples II

Processing of Atmospheric Spectrometer Data

Data Acquisition Spectrum Ozone Distribution

Fig. 7: Loyola, 2013

e.g.:
GOME on ERS-2 (ESA)
SCIAMACHY on ENVISAT (ESA)
GOME-2 on MetOp (EUMETSAT)

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Overview Terms & Def. Examples I Approach Examples II

Structure

Terms and definitions

Demonstrative examples I
Estimation theoretical remote sensing approach
Demonstrative examples II

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Overview Terms & Def. Examples I Approach Examples II

Estimation theoretical remote sensing

approach
measurement
ε �Ll1 �
�C� (sensor) � �
�S � �Ll2 �
x=� � F { x; M } y = �Ll3 �
�G� � �
�� �M �
�t � noise �
�L � �
parameters to be � ln �
measured measured quantities

Fig. 1: © TUM

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Overview Terms & Def. Examples I Approach Examples II

Estimation theoretical remote sensing

approach
measurement retrieval
ε �Ll1 �
�C� (sensor) � � (inversion) �Cˆ �
�S � �Ll2 � �ˆ �
x=� � F { x; M } y = �Ll3 � " F%-1 { y; M%} " �S �= xˆ
�G� � � �Gˆ �
�� �M � ��
�t � noise �
�L � � �tˆ �
parameters to be � ln �
estimates of
measured measured quantities parameters
+ error bars

Fig. 1: © TUM

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Overview Terms & Def. Examples I Approach Examples II

Estimation theoretical remote sensing

approach
measurement retrieval
ε �Ll1 �
�C� (sensor) � � (inversion) �Cˆ �
�S � �Ll2 � �ˆ �
x=� � F { x; M } y = �Ll3 � " F%-1 { y; M%} " �S �= xˆ
�G� � � �Gˆ �
�� �M � ��
�t � noise �
�L � � �tˆ �
parameters to be � ln �
estimates of
measured measured quantities parameters
+ error bars

F%{ x; M%}

forward model
modeling of (pseudo-)inversion
measurement of forward model
+ noise

Fig. 1: © TUM

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Overview Terms & Def. Examples I Approach Examples II

Estimation theoretical remote sensing

approach
measurement retrieval
ε �Ll1 �
�C� (sensor) � � (inversion) �Cˆ �
�S � �Ll2 � �ˆ �
x=� � F { x; M } y = �Ll3 � " F%-1 { y; M%} " �S �= xˆ
�G� � � �Gˆ �
�� �M � ��
�t � noise �
�L � � �tˆ �
parameters to be � ln �
estimates of
measured measured quantities parameters
Bayes + error bars

F%{ x; M%}
a priori
knowledge
forward model
modeling of (pseudo-)inversion
measurement of forward model
+ noise
process
model
Fig. 1: © TUM

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Overview Terms & Def. Examples I Approach Examples II

Structure

Terms and definitions

Demonstrative examples I
Estimation theoretical remote sensing approach
Demonstrative examples II

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Overview Terms & Def. Examples I Approach Examples II

Water Quality Maps of Baltic Sea From MERIS Data

Chlorophyll Suspended
matter

Gelbstoff Water
transparency

Fig. 9:
Krawczyk et al., 2007
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Overview Terms & Def. Examples I Approach Examples II

Quantitative Derivation of Vegetation Parameters from

Hyperspectral Remote Sensing Data

5.5 63 µg/g

0 38
Reflectance image Leaf-Area-Index Chlorophyll a & b
(false color) Fig. 10: © DLR

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Overview Terms & Def. Examples I Approach Examples II

Case Study for Persistent Scatterer SAR Interferometry:

Berlin, Central Railway Station

TerraSAR-X © DLR © Google Earth

TerraSAR-X Google Earth

© private

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Overview Terms & Def. Examples I Approach Examples II

Case Study for Persistent Scatterer SAR Interferometry:

Berlin, Central Railway Station

Range

Fig. 11: Thermal dilation in line-of-sight (© TUM)

Estimated
amplitude
in [cm]

Fig. 12: © TUM

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Overview Terms & Def. Examples I Approach Examples II

Complex 3-D Structures as Imaged by SAR

Bellagio Hotel, Las Vegas

© Google Earth TerraSAR-X © DLR

Optical image, © Google Earth TerraSAR-X spotlight mode

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Overview Terms & Def. Examples I Approach Examples II

TomoSAR Geometry in Range-Elevation Plane

b

Db

elevation
aperture

Ds s
z 3-D reflectivity
distribution
x
y
g ( x, r , s )
ce s = 0
reference surfa
r Fig. 13: © TUM
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Overview Terms & Def. Examples I Approach Examples II

Tomographic Reconstruction from TerraSAR-X Data:

Las Vegas

Height estimation result

Fig. 14: © TUM

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Overview Terms & Def. Examples I Approach Examples II

Example: Vehicle Tracking

Fig. 15: © TUM, DLR

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References

Brusch, S., Lehner, S., Fritz, T., Soccorsi, M., Soloviev, A. and van Schie, B. (2011). Ship Surveillance
With TerraSAR-X. IEEE Transaction on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, vol. 49, no. 3, pp.1092-1103.
Keil, M., Mohaupt-Jahr, B., Kiefl, R. and Strunz, G. (2002). Das Projekt CORINE Land Cover 2000 in
Deutschland. S. Dech et al. (Hrsg.): Tagungsband 19. DFD-Nutzerseminar, 15. - 16. Oktober 2002, S.
95-104.
Jezek, K., Abdel Jaber, W. and Floricioiu, D. (2011). TerraSAR-X Oservations of Antarctic Outlet Glaciers
in the Ross Sea Sector. IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium (IGARSS) 2011,
24-29 July 2011, pp.3855-3858.
Loyola, D. (2013). Methodologies for solving Satellite Remote Sensing Problems using Neuro
Computing Techniques. Verlag Dr. Hut, ISBN 978-3-8439-1068-2.
Krawczyk, H., Neumann, A., Walzel, T. and Gerasch, B. (2007). Regional Products for the Baltic Sea in
the Frame of Marcoast GMES. Proceedings of ENVISAT Symposium 2007, Montreux, Switzerland, on
CD.

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SAR-EDU – SAR Remote Sensing Educational
Initiative
https://saredu.dlr.de/

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