Application of polarimetric SAR to monitoring permafrost ecosystem in central Yakutia, Eastern Siberia

Ecological patterns and process in the active layer overlying permafrost are expected to undergo significant changes. This study aims to evaluate the capability of L-band fully polarimetric SAR data for monitoring spatio-temporal variability of permafrost ecosystems and underlying soil conditions. ALOS PALSAR polarimetric mode data acquired in freezing and melting seasons over Eastern Siberia are used in this study. Experimental results show that the fully polarimetric scatter type indicators have a great potential for mapping geo-cryological features in the permafrost active layer.