Radar remote sensing refers to the use of radio signals from aircraft and satellites for measuring properties of the Earth’s surface. The main advantage of using radar over conventional photography (e.g. Google Earth), is that radar can be used both day and night, and even when there is dense cloud cover or fog. This makes radar remote sensing particularly attractive in polar regions where days are short and over rain forests with persistent cloud cover.

Our research is based on an understanding of radar system properties, allowing us to analyse and design new systems to improve measurement accuracy. The main applications studied in the group are for forestry and mapping of sea ice. For forests the goal is to map biomass and changes caused by deforestation, fires, replanting, etc. Global mapping is required to understand the role of forest in the global carbon cycle, and hence their effect on global climate change. Sea ice mapping is also of interest for climate studies since changes in ice cover are a good indicator of climate change, as well as affecting the transfer of energy between the oceans and atmosphere.