Ocean and Coastal Area Information Retrieval Using SAR Polarimetry

In this chapter, the role played by synthetic aperture radar (SAR) polarimetry in supporting the observation of oceans and coastal areas is described using meaningful showcases. In Sect. 1, the theoretical background that lies at the basis of the exploitation of polarimetric SAR (polSAR) measurements is presented together with the main features that characterize the operating polSAR satellite missions. In Sect. 2, the capability of generating added-value products in the framework of marine oil pollution is discussed by means of experiments of actual polSAR data. In Sect. 3, the ability of polSAR information to assist a continuous monitoring of coastal profiles for vulnerability analysis purposes is demonstrated through thought experiments. Brief conclusions are drawn in Sect. 4.