Use of Satellite SAR for Understanding Long-Term Human Occupation Dynamics in the Monsoonal Semi-Arid Plains of North Gujarat, India

Remote Sensing

Francesc C. Conesa²  Núria Devanthéry³  Andrea L. Balbo²  Marco Madella²  Oriol Monserrat³  Rosa Lasaponara¹  Nicola Masini¹ 

[1] id="af1-remotesensing-06-11420">1CaSEs-Complexity and Socio-Ecological Dynamics Research Gro;CaSEs-Complexity and Socio-Ecological Dynamics Research Group;Geomatics Division, Catalan Telecommunications Technology Centre (CTTC), Av. Carl Friedrich Gauss, 11, Parc Mediterrani de la Tecnologia, Castelldefels E-08860, Catalonia, Spain; E-mails:

关键词: ENVISAT;    SAR amplitude;    Indian summer monsoon;    archaeology;    water areas;    land use;   

DOI  :  10.3390/rs61111420

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

This work explores the spatial distribution of monsoonal flooded areas using ENVISAT C-band Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (ASAR) in the semi-arid region of N. Gujarat, India. The amplitude component of SAR Single Look Complex (SLC) images has been used to estimate the extent of surface and near-surface water dynamics using the mean amplitude (MA) of monsoonal (July to September) and post-monsoonal (October to January) seasons. The integration of SAR-derived maps (seasonal flooding maps and seasonal MA change) with archaeological data has provided new insights to understand present-day landscape dynamics affecting archaeological preservation and visibility. Furthermore, preliminary results suggest a good correlation between Mid-Holocene settlement patterns and the distribution and extension of seasonal floodable areas within river basin areas, opening interesting inroads to study settlement distribution and resource availability in past socio-ecological systems in semi-arid areas.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2014 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.