Industrial Training Report

Chapter1: Introduction to the Training Establishment
1.1 Evolvement of the Geoinformatics Center

In the latter part of the 20th century there was a rising importance of professionals with the
knowledge of modern technologies such as Remote Sensing, Global positioning systems and
Geographic Information Systems. In order to provide the Asia pacific region with such
personnel the GeoInformatics center was established as GIS application Center(GAC) at
Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) in 1995. By the virtue of its objectives GAC being a
non-profit organization the main purpose of it was to create an environment for short term
training programs.
With the intention of carrying out research and consultancy works in the year 1997 AIT
established Asian Center for Research on Remote Sensing (ACRoRS) with the collaboration
of Asian Association of Remote Sensing (AARS). The child produced by the combination of
these two, GAC and ACRoRS , was called GeoInformatics Center or later to be known as a
single body GIC of AIT.
GeoInformatics center plays an important role in the Asia Pacific Region to empower the
government and private sector with the knowledge of Remote Sensing and GIS field of study.
According to the recent well known facts GIC has certainly reached its primary goals in the
region.
GIC is in collaboration with many other agencies such as
Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency

Asian Disaster Reduction Center
Sentinel Asia
Asian Association of Remote Sensing
Asian Journal of Geoinfomatic
Asian Disaster Preparedness Center
ITC
With these alliances in hand it carries out various projects like natural hazard mapping,
environmental monitoring, researching and most importantly conducting training programs
which are specially designed to fulfill the participants or organizations requirements. More
than 1500 trainees of such have been trained at GIC and still the programs go on. It has
carried out many training programs, workshops and conferences representating participants
from more than 25 countries within the region. Center is dedicated to serve the Asia Pacific
Earth Resources Engineering
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region with the best information, resources and technologies it has. It also has undertaken a
number of natural resources and environment related projects in Bangladesh, Cambodia,
Indonesia, Lao PDR, Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam. Not only that
African region also gets the services of GIC due to its collaboration with the world bank
projects. Mini projects which are associated with JAXA agendas are also being carried out by
GIC every year.
1.2 Vision and Mission of GIC
1.2.1 Vision
Become a center of excellence in the Asia Pacific region
1.2.2 Training Mission
To create training opportunities for the organizations working in the Asia-Pacific

region to help in capacity building.
This mission is achieved through following activities.

Regularly conduct international training programs in GIS and its related fields
targeting three levels: technical level, professional level, and executive level
(decision makers)
Design and develop training courses and materials relevant to the problems of the
Asia-Pacific region
Create a network of professional of GIS and its related fields in the Asia-Pacific
region
Render consultancy services to the government and non-government organizations
on application of GIS and its related technologies.
1.3 Contact Details

Address:
Geoinformatics Center, Asian Institute of Technology, 58 Moo 9, km 42,

Paholyothin Highway, P.O. Box 4, Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120,
Thailand
Phone:
+66-2-524-5580/6195
Fax:
+66-2-524-6147
Email:
geoinfo@ait.ac.th
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1.4 Main Functions of GIC

GIC is a center for the introduction of new technologies and methodologies to the mid-career
and senior level professionals from government agencies, international organizations,
institutions, and NGOs. Here the high ranking personnel of the government and private sector
get the opportunity to engage in hands on practical exercises, case studies, field works and
study visits when they undergo the training programs offered by the institute. Most of these
training programs are funded by big organizations like world bank or the respective
governments. In these short training courses trainees are facilitated with opportunities to
exchange their experiences and knowledge among participants. They are directed by the
project coordinators and course facilitators. Most of the training programmes are covered
with a relevant study visit where the participants will be able to gain a best practical
experience in field. During my stay there I could thoroughly notice that all these hands on
practical sessions were handled by very skilled and experienced professionals with very good
educational backgrounds in the respective fields. These sessions also are bound with real
world phenomena so that the trainees would get the maximum exposure to the reality that
they wish to acknowledge at GIC.
Main training courses offered by the Center are;
1. Remote Sensing and GIS (Basic or Advance)
2. Microwave Remote Sensing
3. Web Map Servers and its Applications
4. Positioning and Navigation (GPS)
5. Flood Modeling and Vulnerability Mapping
6. Landslide Hazard and Risk Analysis
7. Rainfall Forecasting and warning
8. Mitigation
9. Disaster Management
10. Sustainable Land Management Using Spatial Data
11. Social Information, Planning and Development
Poverty mapping measurement and analysis
Advanced poverty mapping - Small area estimation
Spatial data assisted regional development planning and measurement
12. Environment and Natural Resources Management
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As mentioned earlier GIC also conduct projects jointly with other agencies strengthening the
capacity building programs. JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), JICA (Japan
International Cooperation Agency), USAID (Unites States Agency for International
Development), ADRC (Asian Disaster Reduction Center) and ASEAN foundation are some
of the supported agencies with the projects conducted by GIC.
NOAA/MODIS (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/ Moderate Resolution
Imaging Spectroradiometer) satellite data for regional and global environmental researches
and development were once continuously obtained by the GIC but due to the catastrophic
flood during the late 2011 most of those work were halted which was a huge impact for the
course of GICs future.
Internship programs carried out by the GIC are highly regarded and accepted in the Asia
Pacific Region. The students who undergo the internship programs here belong to well
respected universities in Thailand such as Thammasat University, Kasetsart University and
Rajamangala University of Technology. University of Moratuwa being my own university,
University of Sabaragamuwa and SLIIT (Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology) are
also provided with the opportunity to follow the internship programs.
1.5 Organizational Structure
GeoInformatics Center is a research center positioned in Asian Institute of Technology. AIT
seeks to promote technological changes and sustainable development in the Asian-Pacific
region through higher education, research and outreach. AIT consists of three schools: School
of Management, School of Engineering and Technology and School of Environment
Researches and Development. School of Engineering has three sections as Civil and
Infrastructure Engineering, Information and Communication Engineering and Industrial
System Engineering. Information and Communication Engineering has three subfields as
Computer Science, RS and GIS and Information Management and Telecommunication. GIC
is the research center functioning under the RS & GIS subfield. The location of GIC in AIT is
revealed in the figure bellow.
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Asian Institute of
Technology
School of Management
School of Engineering
and Technology
School of Environment
Researches and
Development
Civil and Infrastructure

Engineering
Information and
Communication
Engineering
Industrial System
Engineering
Computer Science
RS and GIS
Information Management
and Telecommunication
GeoInformatics Center
Figure 1.1: Organizational Location in AIT
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1.6 Structure of GIC

Director GIC
Associate Director
Senior
Research
Associate
Phonekeo
Senior
Research
Specialist
Limlahapun
Research
Associate
Project
Researcher
Senior
Administrative
Officer
Naikaset
System
administrator
Assistant
Administrative
Officer
Trainee
Figure 1.2: Structure of the Organization

o Director : Dr. Lal Samarakoon
o Associate Director : Dr. Manzul Hazarika
o Visiting Research Professor (Senior Research Specialist) : Prof. Haruo Sawada
o Senior Research Associate : Dr. Vivarad Phonekeo
o Senior Research Specialist : Dr. Ponthip Limlahapun
o Research Associate
Mr.Chathura Hasanka
Mr.Syams Nashrrullah
Mr.Jaya Ram Pudashine
o Project Researcher
Mr.Jayan Wijesingha
Mr.Lakmal Deshapriya
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o Systems Administrator : Mr.Ramesh De Silva

o Senior Administrative Officer : Miss.Sudchai Naikaset
o Assistant Administrative Office : Mrs.Suwannee Manawakul
1.7 Present Performances

Performance of the Center during my period of staying is described briefly in here.
From 2nd to 21st December, Phase II of JAXA sponsored Mini Project was held at
GIC. Five groups were working on disaster related projects under Sentinel Asia
project and two were working on agricultural projects under SAFE project. All
together there were 14 participants from five countries namely Bangladesh,
Cambodia, Myanmar, Philippines and Sri Lanka.
From 20th January 2014 to 31st of January 2014 professional training program on
growth, poverty and inequality was held. 13 participants from Ethiopia were there in
the project. The participating agencies were National Planning Commission of
Ethiopia (NSO), Central Statistical Agency of Ethiopia (CSA) and United Nation
Development Programme (UNDP).
In cooperation with DHI-India, GIC organized two-weeks training course on Flood
Modeling and Risk Assessment from 17th to 28th March 2014. The course was
primarily designed to provide exposure on the application and use of remote sensing
and GIS technology with various flood-modeling tools and techniques for the better
flood risk assessment.
From 24th to 28th March 2014 Second session of technical assistance workshop on
implementing Geo-referenced Information Systems for Disaster Risk Management
(Geo-DRM) for Afghanistan and Bangladesh was held at Geoinformatics Center.
Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) in partnership
with the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction
(UNISDR), Asia Pacific Office, Bangkok had organized this session.
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1.8 SWOT analysis of GIC

1.8.1 Strengths
Being one of the well-recognized institutes in the Asia pacific region GIC stands as a
nonprofit organization with direct links to supportive agencies like JAXA (Japan Aerospace
Exploration Agency), USAID (United States Agency of International Development) and
ASEAN Foundation. These collaborations make the credibility of the organization high.
Since the early days from 1995 JAXA has sponsored the Mini Projects which are undertaken
by GIC. The working staff at the institute is highly skilled and well experienced in the field of
expertise which makes it even harder for the other such institute with the same motive to
compete with it.
The diversity in the nationalities in the working group enables the institute to reach for a
broader range in the region. The crew is composed of researchers from India, Sri lanka,
Nepal, Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, Japan.
The infrastructure and the technology possessed by the GIC are modern and sophisticated
which give the institute the opportunity in handling modern projects for the higher level
personnel from other countries. Although most of the equipment were demolished and totally
destroyed by the 2011 flood GIC commenced its work with the re-opening on 25th November
2012 which was a huge achievement when the destruction caused by the flood is taken into
consideration.
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Figure 1.1 The aftermath of the flooding in 2011
Figure 1.2 After the renovation process within one year
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The research group together with these equipment stand as a formidable combination which
drives the projects and programmes that are conducted by the Center with the guidance of the
director and associate directors. It is to be noticed that in every week there is a panel
discussion about the ongoing projects and the current works of the firm. This makes the staff
to go on the right course to achieve the desired goals.
1.8.2 Weaknesses
The working staff of GIC is around 15 or so therefore the work load the firm can undertake is
less compared to other competitive such organizations in the industry. Being a highly
recognized organization in the Asia Pacific region there are no many efforts to expand its
territory as a single individual and always its under the shade of JAXA. The working staff
here as I have mentioned earlier is comprised of highly educated and skilled young scientists
and researchers but they are not permanently assigned to the institute. They work under
contract basis and almost half of them would receive scholarships and higher salary jobs in
the industry if they are to work few more years at the institute. So they will definitely leave
the firm when that happens because GIC, although is a research center it does not offer any
Masters Degrees or PhD scholarships. What GIC does normally is that allowing the
researchers in their staff to follow such courses under AIT, and AIT is not offering such
scholarship programs frequently so this stands as a strategically disadvantageous for the firm
but its weakness is that GIC is not going to take any action for this.
There are few researchers in the firm who have different thoughts about the projects which
have been undertaken by the institute. They do not possess the mind set for business. Because
of that some are not functioning well within the organization, their responsive rate is very
long and sometimes they do not work well within the group also. Although they have the
theoretical background and the knowledge sometimes the work they are assigned with have
to be carried out by the other colleagues in order to finish them on time. The authorities of
GIC does not take any actions regarding this because of several other factors such as lack of
personnel with such caliber and their recognition in the region as scientists. But it stands as a
weakness in its own standards.
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1.8.3 Opportunities
GIC has got so many partners and collaborations in the industry. This gives them the
advantage of connecting to the business world and community services. During the early
period of 2014 the institute continued the phase iii of JAXA and SAFE mini project away
from Thailand. They are undertaking some of the government projects also. Because of the
increasing popularity of web based GIS applications, there is a need for new training modules
and researches. Currently GIC is at the top level in the region with respect to the others in
web based GIS applications. This is a great opportunity for them to make the best out of the
demanding situation.
After the arrival of professor Haruo Sawada, GIC has reached a new height in Remote
sensing Natural disaster Forest management. This means that there is a possibility of doing
more in depth researches in the future regarding forest management.
Being a part of the well known educational institute named Asian Institute of Technology,
GIC thrives in its success engaging in projects which are related to AIT also.
1.8.4 Threats
There is a risk of another flood at any moment. The damage it would cause is inevitable if
that happened. The best thing Geoinformatics center can do is that installing the necessary
equipment in the first floor rather than the ground floor. I could see some of the photos which
were taken after the flood and the height of the flood was around six feet. Therefore to
minimize the damage it is better to do so.
The industry is developing rapidly hence the competitors are emerging in the region. If not
for the reputation and recognition it has gained GIC would not have been achieving the
success it has achieved so far, but to keep the name it has gained is difficult. The other
organization always try to do more than what GIC is offering to the customers. The most
important thing about this context is that the development in the remote sensing and GIS
field. Now most of the NASA satellite missions are outdated. There are lots of new satellite
missions with the availability of various new data. GIC staff must continuously learn these
upcoming trends in the field. If they fail to accomplish that it can be a turning point in their
success as the emerging competitors are seemingly well accompanied with the latest trends.
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If the experienced staff members are going to leave the institute for their higher education
then it is going to be deprived of skillful and recognized personnel. This is a threat to the
institutes future.
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Chapter 2: Training Experience

2.1 Familiarization with the working environment
Before starting the work at GIC I had to get familiarized with the conditions and the staff.
The staff was comprised of several nationalities from the Asian region. Their fluency in
English language varied a lot from person to person.
Thus I had to face a challenge at the start up. With time I could understand their way of
speaking and it was a good thing because communication at the office was very important.
After getting to know them and communication had had started they informed me about the
rules and regulations of the work place.
The working procedures and the rules followed in the laboratories were also explained. Since
it was a foreign establishment some of the routines were different. As a trainee I was given
the full freedom to enter some parts and laboratories of the institute in order to gain
knowledge about the research matters where others were not allowed frequently. Separate
keys were given so that I could access the office in the week ends.
2.2 Introduction to digitizing work
The first few days of my stay as a trainee were filled with lessons regarding the remote
sensing and GIS field. The role of GIC in the field was also explained by my supervisor Mr.
Chathura Hasanka. Among the many projects that were being carried out at the time I was
assigned with digitizing work. Digitizing was done using an open source software called Java
Open Street Map or JOSM software (source: https://josm.openstreetmap.de/ ), it was
supervised by Mr.Chathura and Dr.Manzul. The digitizing work were done throughout my
internship period regarding various areas concerned in project work.
When an area is affected with a natural hazard the authorities and the general public question
about the number of casualties, wealth and the properties that have been damaged and so on.
Not only that but also when a national level project is to be implemented the government
wants the amount of property and buildings that is going to be affected. Nobody can give an
exact answer to such questions unless they have the digitized map of the interested area, that
is the basic thing to be understood about digitizing a map.
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Figure 2.1 Digitizing work of Olongapo city-Phillipines

The JAXA mini project as I have mentioned earlier funded for this project. The specialists
who were working in the project faced a problem in identifying the buildings and vegetated
land masses as different quantities. They were concerned about earth quake hazards and
damages caused by instant flooding.
They wanted the building count of the respective areas of interest therefore the best option
was digitizing. Using bing satellite images and the java open street online task managing site
I and the rest of the trainees digitized buildings and important land marks of the interested
areas. It was a very cumbersome work. The difficulty of visual inspection of the images was
the prime challenge in this task. Although there were satellite images they were low
resolution images. We could not use other satellite images because of the copy right issues so
we had to be content with bing satellite images.
2.3 RADAR Remote Sensing
The modern era of remote sensing is highly comprised of RADAR remote sensing concepts
as it is an active remote sensing technique where microwaves are used. Main objective of this
part of the training was to understand the basic concepts and real world applications of
RADAR remote sensing. In order to pursue the research work my supervisor Mr.Chathura
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Hansaka to learn about the ALOS Palsar sensor and the two basic software which are used in
RADAR image processing named NEST and PolSARPro. The latter being a software
specially designed for full polarimetric SAR image processing. Not only these two software
would have done the work required. I had to learn about MATLAB image processing
techniques and ENVI 5.0 software together with ArcGIS 10.1 later also. I carried out learning
the concepts and engaged in application work for all the 24 weeks of my internship period it
was a very interesting period of work.
2.3.1 ALOS Palsar

Panchromatic Remote-sensing Instrument for Stereo Mapping (PRISM), the 10-metre
resolution Advanced Visible and Near-Infrared Radiometer type 2 (AVNIR-2), and Phased
Array L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (PALSAR) are the three remote sensing instruments
which are connected to ALOS satellite belonging to JAXA.
PRISM and AVNIR are both optical remote sensing instruments while PALSAR is not only
providing enhanced sensor performance, including full polarimetry, variable off-nadir
viewing and ScanSAR operations, but also it is featuring an entirely new acquisition concept,
aiming at spatially and temporally consistent, global coverage on a repetitive basis, to
accommodate geo- and bio-physical parameter retrieval over semi-continental scales.
PALSAR was developed jointly by JAXA and the Japan Resources Observation Systems
Organization (JAROS). Operating in fine-beam mode with single polarization (HH or VV),
dual polarization (HH+HV or VV+VH), or full polarimetry (HH+HV+VH+VV), PALSAR is
considered to be a fully polarimetric instrument.
2.3.1.1 ALOS PALSAR processing levels

Table 2.1 ALOS PALSAR processing levels
Processing Level
1.0
Description
Unprocessed signal data appended

with radiometric and geometric
correction coefficients (appended but
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not applied)
The number of SAR data files is the

same as the number of polarizations
1.1
Data type: 8 bit(I) + 8 bit(Q)
Single Look Complex data on slant

range
1.5
Range and azimuth compressed
Phase preserving products
Data type: 32 bit(I) + 32 bit(Q) (*1)
Multi-look processed image projected

to map coordinates.
Latitudes and longitudes in the

product are calculated without
considering the altitude.
[Option] G: Systematically Geocoded

R: Systematically Georeferenced
Data type: 16 bit unsigned integer
2.3.2 Introduction to NEST software and its applications

NEST is an abbreviated form of Next Esa SAR Toolbox. Under the GNU GPL license NEST
is a free and fully open source toolbox which means anybody who is interested in learning the
basics of RADAR remote sensing can use NEST software. In general NEST supports the
scientific and operational exploitation (reading, processing, analysing and visualising) of
ESA and 3rd party spaceborne SAR data.
The supervisor Mr. Chathura Hasanka gave me the necessary training materials and advices
with the set of guidelines to follow. It was very useful to read user manuals at first.
When the data flow architecture of the software was analyzed I could come into the
conclusion that it is a very user friendly yet sophisticated software with the capability of
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reading almost all the RADAR image data available and it can analyze and process the data
with utmost efficiency. I could observe and get the experience on the software and it was a
very interesting and powerful software to handle.
9
8
2
4
1
3
5
7
Figure 2.2 Basic Tools in NEST software

1. Metadata / header
2. Projects view
3. Products view
4. Navigation
5. R.O.I. Tool
6. Color manipulation tool
7. Pixel information tool
8. World map
9. Statistics
These are the basic tools that I have come across in the earlier stages of my work in the
NEST software. The tools are very easy to be manipulated and handled.
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Like most of the image processing software NEST also provides the ability of batch
processing. I could not test this because of that the project I was assigned with only required
the processing of one image. Therefore the need of a processing chain was excluded in my
work.
NEST provides the user with the ability of calibrating the RADAR images. When I read the
ALOS data from the NEST software I could not recognize anything it was all blur and noise
covered image. It was very difficult to identify any feature from the image.
That is why I had to multi-look the RADAR image first. Later I learnt about the RADAR
theory in detail but at this moment I did not know why I had to multi-look the RADAR
image. I just did it because it made the image more clear and understandable. Actually what
happens when you multi-look an image is that the software runs a window on the image and
rearrange the pixels in the order they are in the actual world if we are to look from our naked
eye, because when data were stored they had been stored in strips in the sensors memory.
Even though with multi-looking I could get a clear image it was apparent that the image
contained serious amount of speckle. The data were distorted and the spots were everywhere
indicating the noise was high. If I were to implement any algorithm on that image it was clear
that it would not have given accurate results. Therefore I had to use the speckle filtering tool
in the NEST software.
The speckle removed images were then calibrated so that the antenna error was removed and
then reprojected in the WGS84 co-ordinate system. Now the images were ready to be
analyzed using any software or in NEST itself.
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Figure 2.3 The reprojected image after all the initial processing
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With the work I was assigned I could not only rely on the NEST software because of that
NEST did not provide the processing capability for full polarized RADAR images. That is
the main reason why I had to use another software called PolSARPro.
2.3.3 Applications of PolSARPro
When it came to full polarimetric SAR image analysis there were various methods and
theories to be considered and tested. PolSARpro Software (Polarimetric SAR Data
Processing and Educational Toolbox), was developed to provide an educational software that
offers a tool for self-education in the field of polarimetric SAR (PolSAR) and polarimetric
interferometric SAR (Pol-InSAR) data analysis and for the development of applications using
such data.
Using the RADAR data the PolSARpro software establishes a foundation for the exploitation
of polarimetric techniques for scientific developments, and stimulates research and
applications.
With a great collection of well-established algorithms and tools designed for the analysis of
Polarimetric SAR data with specialized functionalities for in-depth analysis of fully and
partially polarimetric data it provides the ample opportunity and freedom for the analyzer to
develop any necessary applications for such data.
From a range of well-established polarimetric airborne platforms and from a range of
spaceborne missions it offers the possibility to handle and to convert polarimetric data. In my
case it was from ALOS PALSAR.
Before starting work with PolSARpro I had to configure all the necessary software with it.
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Figure 2.4 The software configuration process in PalSARpro

After configuring the software I had to import the data from the hard drive. These data were
in the JAXA-CEOS format which is unique for the data you would find associated with any
of JAXA satellite missions. The working environment was set as the directory where the data
were stored.
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Figure 2.5 The data importing process in PalSARpro

In figure 2.5 the numbering is done according to the sequence where I had to import data.
As I have mentioned earlier, I had to use PolSARpro software simply because of the fact that
I was working with full polarimetric SAR data. The software provides the easy generation of
coherency matrix of the given data set. My next goal was generating this coherency matrix
known as T3 or C3.
2.3.3.1 Polarimetric decomposition
It is necessary to discuss the interaction between the transmitted waves and the targets, in
order to understand the decompositions of the RADAR waves. In decomposition theorems
the backscattering of the interacted RADAR wave is expressed as matrix projections. In
general it is the linear sum of the basis matrices multiplied with corresponding coefficients.
For I have never learned about RADAR backscattering in this much depth I had to go through
lots of thesis and notes. I believe the things I wanted to be covered regarding the project work
which I am to emphasize in the latter part of this report can be summarized as follows.
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Basically three things can happen to an incident wave after interacting with the medium. The
wave can be,
1. Absorbed
2. Transmitted
3. Reflected
A smooth surface will typically give a strong reflection in one direction away from the
surface which is known as a Specular reflection. A rough surface is most likely to give a
Diffuse reflection Diffuse backscatter is scattering with uniform strength in all directions.
Figure 2.6 A describes the Specular reflection. B describes the Diffuse reflection
In the polarimetric RADAR remote sensing the incident wave is being polarized either in the
vertical direction or horizontal direction relative to each other. In simple terms you send one
polarized wave and send another wave which is polarized in the normal plane to that of the
previously mentioned. Let us name these two waves as Sh and Sv. Now as the observer you
are gathering the reflected or backscattered data of these waves. You can receive either
horizontally polarized or vertically polarized backscattering waves from the surface. Now if
you have sent Sh and received a same polarized backscatter you can name the wave as Shh
similarly Svv can be defined. When you receive an opposite polarization it can be either Shv
or Svh these are the four backscattering waves that I had to work with in full polarimetric
RADAR decomposition.
When the RADAR is being used for monitoring bare soil the signal to the Shh and the Svv
channels would be approximately equal. The strength can also be affected by a slope in the
terrain and dielectric properties of the surface. When a transmitted wave is reflected by the
canopy of a forest the scatter will be depolarized such that it gives contribution to the Shv and
Svh channels.
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If the Shv or Svh channels are significantly strong that means the incident wave has bounced
more than twice. These multiple bounds define the 3D objects in the territory.
Figure 2.7 A describes the Volume scattering. B describes the Double bounce
When double bounce occurs it will give strong response in the Shh and weaker response in
the Svv. In simple terms if the double bounce is high lighter pixels can be observed in the
image in those regions.
In my project I was working with the data from Mannar area of Sri Lanka where man made
structures are present. Therefore I could only use a decomposition theorem of the coherent
type. With the help of my supervisor for the RADAR remote sensing work Mr.Chathura
Hasanka and according to the literature that I have come across it was clear that coherent
decomposition theorem describes the RADAR decomposition in such areas with the best
accuracy. Among such decomposition theorems, Paulis decomposition theorem was the
best fitting theorem to be used for my work. My supervisor Mr. Chathura gave me the
guidance to work in this giving me the necessary advices and resources.
2.3.3.2 Paulis decomposition theorem
It is a theorem where the S2x2 scattering matrix is considered to be a sum of three scattering
mechanisms (refer Annex.1).
For each of the coefficients each pixel in an image has a value. Since bare soil gives
approximately equal contribution to Shh and Svv, parameter describes single or odd
bounce. Double or even bounce is described by the parameter. The parameter in the Pauli
decomposition would be interpreted as volume scatter, i.e scatter from canopy.
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If one would put the squared values of in the blue channel, squared values of in the red
channel and squared values of in the green channel, a Pauli RGB image can be generated.
Using the PolSARpro software I could easily generate the Pauli RGB image hence I could
identified the bare soil. Vegetated and the populated regions of the area. This was very
helpful to me in visually identifying the classifiable sections in the area. As I am to convey
my training experience in detail, my objective in learning this software and the
decomposition theorems will be revealed in the following sections.
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Figure 2.8 Pauli RGB image
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2.3.3.3 Incoherent decomposition theorems

I have mentioned earlier the Paulis decomposition theorem. It is a coherent decomposition
theorem. But in PolSARpro software I was given with the results indicating a T3 or C3
matrix as I have already mentioned. Because of this it was necessary to know what exactly is
the T3 matrix.
The Pauli vector is expressed as,
K = [ Shh+Svv
Shh-Svv
Shv+Svh ] T
..eq. 2.1
The T3x3 matrix is is defined by equation,

T3x3,j = K.K*T
..eq. 2.2
So this was all I needed to proceed with the project work. Idea was to generate the T3x3
matrix using PolSARpro and then decoding , and parameters.
2.3.4 MATLAB image processing

MATLAB is a very sophisticated software which enables the users to engage in scientific
computational work regarding engineering and other research work. I used the image
processing tools provided by it.
As I had not done any image processing work using MATLAB prior to this. It was a
challenging task at the beginning. I had to go through lots of books and manuals to
understand the codes and functions used in MATLAB environment. It was understood that
using imread and geotiffread commands I could import .tiff format images to the
MATLAB. My supervisor Mr.Chathura and Mr. Lakmal Deshapriya helped me a lot to
develop a sound understanding about the software.
MATLAB takes any image into consideration as a matrix of data. Hence the RADAR images
which were processed and reprojected using NEST software were imported as matrices. In
these matrices each pixel showed the respective backscattering value for that position.
The special reason behind using MATLAB as the image processing tool was that the project I
was assigned with was connected with some serious mathematical equations and algorithms
which were very hard to be coded or implemented in any other software but MATLAB.
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2.3.5 Soil Moisture extraction using ALOS PALSAR data

As I have mentioned earlier the true purpose of doing all that above was to extract soil
moisture from the area using image processing and RADAR data available. There were
various theories describing how to extract soil moisture using RADAR data but none of them
were convincing enough or theoretically confirmed.
Actually the soil moisture was not directly acquired from RADAR data but firstly the
dielectric constant variation was modeled. In order to model that I had to use two methods in
the project. The purpose of doing it was confirming what model was best for describing the
real world situation.
2.3.5.1 Soil Moisture extraction using Dubois inverting model without considering the
volumetric or dihedral decomposition.
The images which were reprojected and calibrated using NEST software had to be saved in
GEOTIFF format. These images were imported to MATLAB. When a geo-referenced image
was imported to MATLAB using geotiffread command, there generates a vector which
consists of the spatial references. I could change the references as I wanted and later it was
very helpful in saving the processed images.
Figure 2.9 Area where the soil moisture extraction was modeled
Page 28
The Dubois inverse model indicates the dielectric constant () as a function of the local
incident angle and the RADAR backscattering values of hh and vv values.
I used above mentioned equations in generating the dielectric distribution of the area by
simply inverting equations mentioned in Annex.2 to give r values. MATLAB gave me the
opportunity of handling data in the type double therefore the small variations also could be
identified.
After generating the dielectric constant variation matrix, using the MATLAB color codes I
could define specific color regions and generate the desired map. Then it was very important
to save the generated image as georeferenced, to do that I used geotiffwrite command in
MATLAB. When that command is used the values in the matrix had to be converted to
unsigned integer type because the format specified did not support the double type values.
Figure 2.10 Map of the dielectric constants variation using Dubois inverse equation
The generated map looked promising but yet a classification had to be done in order to
confirm that it represented the actual scenario. Hence a histogram analysis was done.
Page 29
Number of pixels
Dielectric constant
Figure 2.11 histogram of the dielectric constant variation of Dubois inverse model
It was not enough for the project, therefore I had to use the Topp equation to generate the soil
moisture variation map using the generated dielectric constant map. Topp equation is
Moisture content
modeled using the Topp curve.
Dielectric constant
Figure 2.14 The Topp curve

Page 30
When the dielectric constant exceeded 80 the moisture content also had exceeded 1. In my
inquiry about this I got to learn that water itself gives the dielectric constant value of 80
which means that any value greater than 80 dielectric constant would mean a saturated state.
Based on this curve the Topp equation could be identified.
i.e; if moisture content = Mv m3/m3 and the dielectric constant =
Mv= 4.3 x 10-6x 3 5.5 x 10-4 x 2 + 2.92 x 10-2 x 5.3 x 10-2
..eq. 2.3
Equation 2.3 was used to generate the soil moisture variation map of the area.
Figure 2.15 Soil moisture distribution map using Dubois inverse model and Topp curve
The generated map as I believed did not represent the actual scenario. I had no evidences to
support my idea nor any statistical proves. The ground truth data of the area could not be
retrieved at that moment. If I could get my hands on those data I could have done the
statistical analysis to confirm the results validity. When I inspected the histogram also the
result showed a similarity with the dielectric constant variation map. It was a significant fact
to be considered that the volumetric and dihedral decomposition had played an important role
in the received backscattered data. I had to decompose the image so that I could remove the
Page 31
volume and dihedral scattering and use the resulting o values. That was a cumbersome task
with the available data and would have led to many errors.
Figure 2.16 Histogram soil moisture distribution map
Without knowing the root mean square values of the surface height variation or the dielectric
constants of the tree trunks I could not use the equations and found the dielectric constant
values of the surface.
2.3.5.2 Soil Moisture extraction using Dubois inverting model considering the
volumetric and dihedral decomposition.
The answer for this was generating the T3x3 matrix (refer Annex.3 for detailed explanation)
using PolSARpro software. When the T3x3 matrix was generated it also had created the
matrices for decomposition, decomposition and decomposition including many other
decomposition matrices based on several other models which I had not used for my project
work.
Page 32
If I could create these decomposition matrices, I could have easily derive the values for Shh
and Svv values. Therefore I generated the T3x3 matrix and used the decomposition and
decomposition matrices to get those required matrices and using those I could retrieve the
dielectric constant variation map deprived of the previous error of volumetric and dihedral
scattering components. That means this map was indicating the soil surfaces dielectric
constant values.
When that was done the images generated were containing more pixels than the original
images meaning local incident angle variation image had to be resized to match the row and
column sizes of the resulted images.
The resizing was done using ENVI classic software. ENVI software was a new experience
for me. I had my first exposure to that software during my training period. It provided very
powerful tools in resizing classifying and geo-rectifying images.
After the resizing was done and the image was saved in GEOTIFF format, those images were
imported to MATLAB and the Shh and Svv variations were modeled. After that I had to look
for a relationship between these variations and the dielectric constant values. After going
through many research articles and thesis I found a relationship indicating, Shh and Svv values
are a function of local incident angle and the dielectric constant. This was a derivation done
using Fresnel reflections coefficients.
Based on the Fresnel coefficients and Shh and Svv components derived the dielectric constants
variation could be modeled.
Page 33
Figure 2.17 Dielectric constant variation based on coherency matrices

Using the map shown in figure 2.17 and the Topp equation, the soil moisture distribution
could be again generated.
Figure 2.18 Distribution of Soil Moisture
Page 34
2.4 MODIS data downloading and using that data for mapping water-land boundaries
of the Tonl Sap lake, Cambodia.
MODIS is an extensive program using sensors on two satellites named Terra and Aqua. Both
the satellites carry MODIS sensor. It is generally possible to obtain images in the morning
(Terra) and the afternoon (Aqua) for any particular location. Many consolidated products
have been developed with MODIS data including 8-day or 16-day composite images, a
variety of indices, and a range of other global products with different time scales. Almost all
of these products and MODIS data themselves are free for the general users.
Land product information can be found at:
https://lpdaac.usgs.gov/lpdaac/products/modis_products_table
Atmosphere product descriptions can be found at:
http://modis-atmos.gsfc.nasa.gov/products.html
Cryosphere data and descriptions can be found at the National Snow and Ice Data Center at:
http://nsidc.org/daac/modis/index.html.
Ocean data can be found at:
http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/oceanChoice.php
Downloading the MODIS data was done in order to generate the variation of the water
margin of the Tonelsap lake, during the year 2013. To do that I was asked to develop a
method to make the downloading process automated since there were more than 13000
images to be downloaded. It was important to develop such a method as manual process
would have not been a practical solution.
The downloading procedure was done using python MODIS download module because of
this reason. The important thing about these scripts was that they can be used to download an
entire years data just by giving the specified codes in the command prompt. But it was not as
easy as it had seemed.
First the pyModis plugin had to be installed to the system. Those plugins allowed the python
software to use the MODIS downloading scripts. Together with this MRT software had to be
also installed. MRT is the abbreviated form for MODIS Reprojection Tool. What MRT did
was it enabled us to mosaic and reproject the downloaded data. The processed such data
Page 35
could then be used to implement the algorithm using ENVI or MATLAB software
environments.
The pyModis plugin was specially designed for Linux operating systems. Because of that we
were using windows operating system, some more plugins like GDAL and PIP had to be
installed after then only we could use the scripts.
When the downloading process is considered, NASA servers did not allow our connections to
download more than 20 images continuously. To overcome this problem I and my colleague
developed a batch process command to be run on windows command line. When that was run
a text file of downloaded images was created in the directory. If we were to use these images
and mosaic them, since the interested area was covered by 4 MODIS tiles they had to be
imported to the MRT software. The pyModis scripts enabled that but only if there were text
files indicating the specific tiles names. To generate such files from thousands of
downloaded images acquired by both the Terra and Aqua satellites I developed a python
script.
Since I had no prior experiences in python coding I had to go through lots of tutorials and
notes. With many trial sessions and debugging I could manage to write a script in python
language to read the list of downloaded data and create text files with listing them according
to the dates and the tile numbers.
Page 36
Figure 2.19 Python code for text file generation

Page 37
The code was successful and we could download the required data and mosaic them and then
project them to the UTM projection system as was instructed by our supervisors, Mr. Lakmal
Deshapriya and Mr.Jayan Wijesinghe.
After reprojection was done the algorithm had to be implemented in order to get the desired
results as the water margin of the Tonl Sap lake and the river associated with it. But
implementation was difficult because the NASA algorithm was only designed for 8-bit
images but our images were in 16-bit and even though we converted the images to 8-bit the
algorithm did not provide any acceptable results. Mr. Lakmal as my supervisor in this work
discussed with me about this and he asked me to find threshold values for the 16- bit images
for what the logical arguments in the NASA algorithm could be used.
To overcome this problem I used a very simple technique. In that I checked an available
image and an image generated through the algorithm. In the image water margins were
clearly visible and the water bodies itself were identifiable. I created a mask following the
guidance of Mr. Lakmal where the water bodies were given with logical value 1 and the
others with logical value 0. Then using MATLAB matrix multiplication techniques I checked
the probability of occurrence. Until the probability of occurrence was equal for the actual
known case and the generated image using NASA algorithm. Thus I found the threshold
values for 16-bit images and it was a success.
It was troublesome to handle a huge amount of data which required a large space in the
servers as well as in hard drives. Throughout the process I had to maintain a steady and
consistent naming process and numbering process to reduce the mess. The algorithm required
4 day composites which means one would need 32 MODIS tiles to generate the one day
image representing the water margins. Mr. Lakmal suggested a new way of doing this process
using the NASAs original algorithm. It was very simple. Without using the MODIS land
cover site for image downloading it was decided to use World View site (source:
https://earthdata.nasa.gov/labs/worldview/).
The algorithm required MODIS band 1(blue wavelength), MODIS band 2 (green
wavelength), MODIS band7 (red wavelength). In the worlview site all these three bands in
one composite image as MODIS 721 composite could be downloaded for the required area
(refer Annex.4 for details). Therefore I was advised to choose that method to reduce the time
and improve the efficiency of the process together reducing the risk of memory overflowing.
Page 38
2.5 Natural Hazard mappitng for Solomon islands flood (3rd April 2014)
Prior to my internship exposure I did not have any idea about the natural hazard monitoring
and mapping. I did not expect also that to be very intense and demanding task. In this work
my supervisor was Mr. Chathura Hasanka. The location of the flood was identified using the
available news and information. I was asked to develop a map indicating the flood margins
and the height of the flood.
I had no idea first about what to do, then I discussed with my supervisor and he asked me to
download the SRTM data (Shuttle Data Topography Mission ) using the SRTM data the
digital elevation model could be produced. I used ArcGIS software to generate the DEM of
the required area.
Then by visual inspections it was evident that 10 to 15 meters above the sea level is the
possible flooding area. The contour map was generated but it only showed 25 meter intervals
for the contour spacing which in this case was unacceptable and less sensitive, because the
flooding would only vary in the range of 1 to 1.5 meter height. Therefore a contour map was
generated using interpolation techniques and spread computation available in ArcGIS 10.1.
Then the base map was taken as the JOSM base map. The reason behind this was getting a
building count for the affected area. Parallel to the flood extent mapping, digitizing was also
done using bing satellite images of the affected area and the JOSM software platform. Since
the digitizing was done with the flood modeling work a safe area map also could be
generated. This was a very important map for evacuation processes. Behind all of this work
Mr. Chatura Hasanka guided me as my supervisor for 10 days of intense mapping work.
Page 39
Figure 2.20 Possible flood extent of Honiara islands
Page 40
Figure 2.21 Safe area after flooding of Honiara islands
Page 41
Chapter3: Conclusion
3.1 The Internship period
It was for me one of the best times of my life. I got to know many things about the life as a
professional as well as a recognized individual of the society. Being the first exposure to the
working environment I could understand how to manage my responsibilities and duties.
Apart from working I could experience different cultural aspects. Since I was in abroad for
my internship it added a whole new dimension to the entire training period.
3.2 The exposure to the industry as an Engineering student
The work that I carried out at Geoinformatics center were very technology demanding. The
resources I was offered with were not available at the university. High speed internet
connectivity provided me the ability of downloading images efficiently and upload them with
same amount of efficiency.
RADAR remote sensing and image processing, although was available at the university there
were not enough data to process. But in Geoinformatics center I could gain access to huge
amount of data and that enabled me to perform various algorithms and processes for testing
and researching.
IEEE journals were not accessible via my university network but I could download and read
modern journals and research articles about remote sensing and GIS work through the Asian
Institute of Technology network since it provided free access to that web site (refer:
http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/ ). This was more than helpful to me in understanding some of the
complex matters and theories in RADAR remote sensing.
In the university my department is considered to be more away from the computer related
work and programming or algorithm development. But my exposure to the work at
Geoinformatics center opened me new doors to various sections which demanded such
expertise and proved that those branches which were regarded not as important to my field
were also highly important. With the basic knowledge I gained through my university life I
could understand the concepts and adjust accordingly to the situations. It was all a success.
3.3 Working with the staff members
As I was working abroad I could meet various people with different believes and cultural
backgrounds. Communicating with them was a wonderful experience. If I were to work in Sri
Lanka I would not have been exposed to such experiences. In the university I engage with
mostly Sri Lankan students and working with them is somewhat easy. Convincing the
members of the staff about my ideas and thoughts was difficult.
Altogether I could gain the full support of everybody to learn and apply new knowledge on
the actual world scenarios. I got to know that working with a group is more productive and
Page 42
enjoyable than working alone. For the firm to thrive in success the strong commitment of the
group was essential. I learnt to work and interact with the minor staff also. The Thai culture
nourished me with good qualities in being polite and humble to all the people working around
me. It was a great teaching to the life.
3.4 My weaknesses and lessons learnt for the future development
I learnt that everything is possible but only with hard effort and concentration. Im an
individual with low social interaction. My training period gradually helped me to understand
it. I am working on interacting with the society more in the future. My strong headed nature
was also understood with the mistakes I had done. Carelessness would lead an organization to
catastrophes, and I was careless in some work and it is a mistake that I will correct in the
future.
I thought my self to be of no use to the industry but my supervisors helped me to understand
my role as a future engineer and I could rectify my thoughts. I am hoping to do more
researches in the field of RADAR remote sensing. My internship has provided me with
such a knowledge and experience to carry on that thought.
In the final year I am hoping to engage in the researches connected with remote sensing and
GIS field. This will allow me to explore more depths in the subject. I started mapping the
bathymetry of the sea floor but I could not proceed with it as I was not aware of the subject
matters. I am hoping to carry on that research work with the knowledge I would gain in my
final year.
I would recommend Geoinformatics center at the Asian Institute of Technology for anybody
who are willing to undergo their internship period. The institute has provided me with such
sophisticated technology and learning materials that i would have been deprived of if I were
to be in Sri Lanka or any other training establishment. The working staff was humble to me
and they were willing to extend their helping hand in any matter. That was another reason
why I could be successful with the training.
I would suggest bit more field work and GPS modules to be included in the training program.
But the overall training program was one of the very best and I would hardly suggest any
changes to it.
3.5 The Final Thoughts
University of Moratuwa and NAITA had done a great job in coordinating the undergraduates
like me with their training establishments. It was a good enforcement. I could reach high
goals higher than I had ever imagined prior to my training had begun. The expectations were
met. I am very happy to follow this module in my university life. It was a once in a life time
experience.
Page 43
Contents
Chapter1: Introduction to the Training Establishment............. Error! Bookmark not defined.
1.1 Evolvement of the Geoinformatics Center ..................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
1.2 Vision and Mission of GIC ............................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.
1.2.1 Vision....................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
1.2.2 Training Mission...................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
1.3 Contact Details ............................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
1.4 Main Functions of GIC .................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
1.5 Organizational Structure ................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.
1.6 Structure of GIC ............................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
1.7 Present Performances ..................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
1.8 SWOT analysis of GIC .................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
1.8.1 Strengths .................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
1.8.2 Weaknesses .............................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
1.8.3 Opportunities ........................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
1.8.4 Threats ..................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
Chapter 2: Training Experience ............................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
2.1 Familiarization with the working environment .............. Error! Bookmark not defined.
2.2 Introduction to digitizing work ...................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
2.3 RADAR Remote Sensing ............................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
2.3.1 ALOS Palsar ............................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.
2.3.1.1 ALOS PALSAR processing levels ................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
2.3.2 Introduction to NEST software and its applications Error! Bookmark not defined.
2.3.3 Applications of PolSARPro ..................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
2.3.3.1 Polarimetric decomposition .............................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
2.3.3.2 Paulis decomposition theorem ......................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
2.3.3.3 Incoherent decomposition theorems ................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
2.3.4 MATLAB image processing ................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
2.3.5 Soil Moisture extraction using ALOS PALSAR data ............ Error! Bookmark not
defined.
2.3.5.1 Soil Moisture extraction using Dubois inverting model without considering the
volumetric or dihedral decomposition. ......................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
2.3.5.2 Soil Moisture extraction using Dubois inverting model considering the
volumetric and dihedral decomposition. ....................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
Page 44
2.4 MODIS data downloading and using that data for mapping water-land boundaries of
the Tonl Sap lake, Cambodia.............................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
2.5 Natural Hazard mappitng for Solomon islands flood (3rd April 2014) Error! Bookmark
not defined.
Chapter3: Conclusion............................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
3.1 The Internship period ..................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
3.2 The exposure to the industry as an Engineering student Error! Bookmark not defined.
3.3 Working with the staff members .................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
3.4 My weaknesses and lessons learnt for the future development .... Error! Bookmark not
defined.
3.5 The Final Thoughts ........................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.
Page 45

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Chapter1: Introduction to the Training Establishment

1.1 Evolvement of the Geoinformatics Center

Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency

Asian Association of Remote Sensing

Asian Journal of Geoinfomatic

Asian Disaster Preparedness Center

Become a center of excellence in the Asia Pacific region

1.2.2 Training Mission

To create training opportunities for the organizations working in the Asia-Pacific

This mission is achieved through following activities.

1.3 Contact Details

Geoinformatics Center, Asian Institute of Technology, 58 Moo 9, km 42,

Earth Resources Engineering

1.4 Main Functions of GIC

Earth Resources Engineering

Civil and Infrastructure

Figure 1.1: Organizational Location in AIT

Earth Resources Engineering

1.6 Structure of GIC

Figure 1.2: Structure of the Organization

Mr.Jaya Ram Pudashine

Earth Resources Engineering

o Systems Administrator : Mr.Ramesh De Silva

1.7 Present Performances

Earth Resources Engineering

1.8 SWOT analysis of GIC

Earth Resources Engineering

Figure 1.1 The aftermath of the flooding in 2011

Figure 1.2 After the renovation process within one year

Earth Resources Engineering

Earth Resources Engineering

Earth Resources Engineering

Earth Resources Engineering

Chapter 2: Training Experience

Earth Resources Engineering

Figure 2.1 Digitizing work of Olongapo city-Phillipines

2.3.1 ALOS Palsar

2.3.1.1 ALOS PALSAR processing levels

Unprocessed signal data appended

Earth Resources Engineering

The number of SAR data files is the

Data type: 8 bit(I) + 8 bit(Q)

Single Look Complex data on slant

Range and azimuth compressed

Phase preserving products

Data type: 32 bit(I) + 32 bit(Q) (*1)

Multi-look processed image projected

Latitudes and longitudes in the

[Option] G: Systematically Geocoded

Data type: 16 bit unsigned integer

2.3.2 Introduction to NEST software and its applications

Figure 2.2 Basic Tools in NEST software

Earth Resources Engineering

Earth Resources Engineering

Figure 2.4 The software configuration process in PalSARpro

Earth Resources Engineering

Figure 2.5 The data importing process in PalSARpro

Earth Resources Engineering

Earth Resources Engineering

Earth Resources Engineering

Figure 2.8 Pauli RGB image

Earth Resources Engineering

2.3.3.3 Incoherent decomposition theorems

The T3x3 matrix is is defined by equation,