Simon Fraser University|Université Simon Fraser

Purpose

A synthetic aperture radar (SAR) is an airborne or space-borne radar enabling the generation of high-resolution remote sensing imagery. The project's overall purpose is to develop a novel ground and airborne sensor technology, and to provide major leverage to highly qualified personnel (HQP) trainees' research on enhancing Arctic land and planetary applications of space borne synthetic aperture radar (SAR). The main objectives are developing and evaluating the novel technology and deriving models to retrieve soil and snow structure parameters, and surface displacement over permafrost. Technology development includes an experimental miniature airborne SAR, and a novel ground sensor configuration to measure the permafrost's active layer's seasonal motion under snow cover.