THIS MULTI-TEMPORAL SYNTHETIC-APERTURE radar (SAR) image of the Gulf of Gaeta, Italy, was created by combining the first SAR image from the European Remote Sensing satellite, ERS 2, taken on 2 May, 11 days after its launch, and two ERS 1 images, taken on 27 March and 1 May. Parts of the image, in which identical radar echoes were recorded during the satellite overpasses, appear in varying tones of grey, mainly over the mountains, while coloured areas have experienced changes, such as in soil moisture content, coarseness of the surface, or different wind conditions over the sea. The image demonstrates one of the many applications of the ERS satellites in three major areas of environmental monitoring, cartography; agriculture and hydrology; and oceanography (Flight International, 22-28 March).
Source: Flight International