Built-Up Area Characterization: Advanced Techniques For Dual-Pol Sentinel-1 SAR Data

An accurate and timely characterization of built-up areas is essential in making cities and human settlements safe, resilient, and sustainable. Dual-polarized (dual-pol) Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data, commonly used for urban analysis, primarily relies on backscatter intensity, which lacks adequate built-up target characteristics in complex urban scenarios. This study utilizes a set of dual-pol descriptors specifically designed to discriminate built-up areas from other land cover targets, facilitating enhanced characterization of diverse built-up targets in complex urban environments. The applicability of these descriptors to Sentinel-1 Ground Range Detected (GRD) SAR data accessible on the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform enables efficient global built-up area characterization with frequent updates.