Abstract—The remote-sensing technique microwave backscattering is known to be applied to determine various vegetation conditions, such as the growth of trees. However, the technology is mainly applied for studying geographic topologies from long distances, with measurement systems installed in satellites or aircraft. The rapid evolution of microwave technologies in recent years, such as the miniaturization of radar apparatus and reducing the power required to operate them, supports the thought that anyone may be able to use such systems someday. The ability to use ground-based equipment to monitorchanges occurring in vegetation could contribute to resolving agriculture and environmental problems considering a number of aspects such as cost, convenience and effectiveness. For this study, the authors developed a scatterometers capable of taking high-speed measurements of various frequencies of microwaves irradiated at palm tree trunks positioned at a relatively short distance. They also applied the properties of microwave fading and radar cross-sectionanalysis to backscattering results obtained at different times over a period of approximately three months.This paper introduces the experiment, apparatus and analytical procedures, and validation that microwave backscattering can be utilized to measure the internal change in truncated palm trees over time.

Index Terms—Microwave backscattering, Remote sensing, Palm trees, Scatterometer, Microwave fading

Cite:Fahad Algneaer, Mutsumi Suganuma, Shinya Iwata, Shigekazu Sakai, Hitoshi Nohmi, and Akira Nohmi, "Application of Microwave Backscattering to Monitor the State Of Change in Truncated Palm Trees," International Journal of Geology and Earth Science, Vol. 3, No. 2, pp. 10-25, June 2017.