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This study uses time-series Sentinel-1(S-1) synthetic aperture radar images to evaluate the impact of multi-temporal polarimetric processing on land-cover classification. Various polarimetr...

This study uses the ray tracing method to simulate synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images of urban areas. The images are constructed for polarisations: horizontal-horizontal (HH) and vertical-vertic...

First, we processed a fully polarimetric Synthetic Aperture Radar SAR L-band image using different sizes of speckle filtration and decomposition window 3 × 3 pixels, 5 × 5, 7 × 7, 9 × 9, and the decomposition methods available in PolSARPro software. We evaluated these methods and chose the most efficient. Then we developed a simple hierarchical classification scheme based on threshold values. In the first step we divided the terrain into smooth and rough areas and then separated these into more detailed subclasses water and agriculture, and forest and urban which correspond to smooth and rough areas, respectively. A more detailed analysis separated continuous and discontinuous urban fabric and deciduous and coniferous forests. The maximum overall accuracy of the classification was 86.1% for the four main land cover classes, and 80.4% for the six more detailed classes. The accuracy of the classification dropped by about 10% when non-optimal window sizes were used in image filtration or decomposition.

We study the dynamical evolution of Asteroids (164207) 2004 GU9 and 2006 FV35, which are currently Earth quasi-satellites (QS). Our analysis is based on numerical computation of their orbits, and we also applied the theory of co-orbital motion developed in Wajer (Wajer, P. [2009]. Icarus 200, 147–153) to describe and analyze the objects’ dynamics. 2004 GU9 stays as an Earth QS for about a 1000 years. In the present epoch it is in the middle of its stay in this regime. After leaving the QS orbit near 2600 this asteroid will move inside the Earth’s co-orbital region on a regular horseshoe (HS) orbit for a few 1000 years. Later, either HS–QS or HS–P transitions are possible, where P means “passing”. Although 2004 GU9 moves primarily under the influence of the Sun and Earth, Venus plays a significant role in destabilizing the object’s orbit. Our analysis showed that the guiding center of 2006 FV35 moves deep inside the averaged potential well, and since the asteroid’s argument of perihelion precesses at a rate of approximately ω ˙ ≈ - 0.002 ° / year , it prevents the QS state begin left for a long period of time; consequently the asteroid has occupied this state for about 104 years and will stay in this orbit for about 800 more years. Near 2800 the asteroid’s close approach with Venus will cause it to exit the QS state, but probably it will still be moving inside the Earth’s co-orbital region and will experience transitions between HS, TP (tadpole) and P types of motion.

We study the dynamical evolution of Asteroid 2002 AA29. This object moves in the co-orbital region of the Earth and is the first known asteroid which experiences recurrent horseshoe–quasi-satellite transitions. The transitions between the HS and QS states are unique among other known Earth co-orbital asteroids and in the QS state 2002 AA29 remains very close to Earth (within 0.2 AU for several decades [Connors, M., Chodas, P., Mikkola, S., Wiegert, P., Veillet, C., Innanen, K., 2002. Meteorit. Planet. Sci. 37, 1435–1441]). Based on results obtained analytically by Brasser et al. [Brasser, R., Heggie, D.C., Mikkola, S., 2004b. Celest. Mech. Dynam. Astron. 88, 123–152] we developed a simple analytical method to describe and analyze the motion of 2002 AA29. We distinguish a few moments in time crucial for understanding its dynamics. Near 2400 and 2500 this object will be close to going through the maxima of the averaged disturbing function and it will either change its co-orbital regime by transition from the HS into QS state, or leave the librating mode. These approaches generate instability in the motion of 2002 AA29. By means of 66 observations, covering a two-year interval, we extend the analysis of the long term evolution of this object presented by Connors et al. [Connors, M., Chodas, P., Mikkola, S., Wiegert, P., Veillet, C., Innanen, K., 2002. Meteorit. Planet. Sci. 37, 1435–1441] and Brasser et al. [Brasser, R., Innanen, K.A., Connors, M., Veillet, C., Wiegert, P., Mikkola, S., Chodas, P.W., 2004a. Icarus 171, 102–109]. Our analysis is based on a sample of 100 cloned orbits. We show that the motion of 2002 AA29 is predictable in the time interval [ − 2600 , 7100 ] and outside of this interval the past and future orbital history can be studied using statistical methods.