Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2012

Abstract

ALOS/PALSAR L-band full polarimetric data have been used to detect and characterize a well-defined geometric target hidden under sand deposits in the Western Desert of Egypt. This buried abject rectangular in shape with very straight boundarles and encloses an area of 500 m2f Inside the rectangular area there is a perfectly circular feature of approximately 53 m² area. High and medium resolution optical satellite images (WorldView-2, ALOS|AVNIR-2) and field investigation confirm that the topography of the study area is relatively flat and completely covered by dry sand. The electromagnetic wave scattering behavior of the detected buried object was measured by decomposing the scattering matrix of ALOSI PALSAR full polarimetric data into Entropy-Alpha (H|a) and Freeman and Durden decompositions. Furthermore, a combination of unsupervised classification algorithms and Constant False-Alarm Rate (CFAR) edge detection was performed on the polarimetric data which revealed a well-defined geometric shape with straight borders. These borders have high a angles with low entropy, which physically neans double bounce scattering mechanism with low randomness and is very similar to that of an urban "-scattcrer, indicating that the detected target might be a buried wall-like foundation of a man-made structure. Moreover, 28 ground penetrating radar (GPR) profiles werc acquired using a 270 MHz shiel- ded antenna to validate the satellite radar remote sensing results. The GPR profiles reveal very clear . hyperbolic shiapes at 1.5 m depth with one of themn showing a large hyperbolic shape-like structure, which might indicate the presence of a buried foundation. Thus the site might have significance to archacological studies of the Western Desert, particularly previous human occupation and the sources of water for such habitation.

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