ABSTRACT
The chapter presents the locations for which the synthetic aperture radar images were acquired and to apply a land use and land cover interpretation process to full-coverage images. Views provided by thirty- to fifty-kilometer image widths serve land cover interpretation and some of the land use descriptions. Regional interpretation relies on contrasted tones for representing specular, diffuse, and corner backscattering surfaces. Tall buildings and uneven landscape configurations are particularly well contrasted with their surroundings by the bright tones. Dark tones readily identify to specular backscattering on smooth surfaces such as calm water, barren lands and dense broad-leaf forest canopies, or radar shadow. The interpretation of image texture must consider that the spatial scale is generalized. Consequently, pattern, shape, and dimensions are significant to the differentiation between similar-tone land use and land cover types. The areas of interest in Italy and Canada are instrumental to demonstrate features of coastal development, forest wrapped developments, heterogeneous land cover, urbanized islands, valleys and mountains, widespread agriculture, and in a wintertime environment. Each image features a dominant land cover type, and peripheral environments, including diverse developments, vegetation, water, wetland, and barren lands.
