{"id":1822372,"date":"2023-01-25T15:24:05","date_gmt":"2023-01-25T23:24:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/?post_type=blog&p=1822372"},"modified":"2025-05-12T12:24:03","modified_gmt":"2025-05-12T19:24:03","slug":"introduction-to-synthetic-aperture-radar","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-pro\/imagery\/introduction-to-synthetic-aperture-radar","title":{"rendered":"Introduction to Synthetic Aperture Radar"},"author":319752,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_searchwp_excluded":""},"categories":[430042,22931,22941],"tags":[557702,768662,758071],"industry":[],"product":[36561],"class_list":["post-1822372","blog","type-blog","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-education","category-imagery","category-mapping","tag-imagery-and-remote-sensing","tag-radar","tag-sar","product-arcgis-pro"],"acf":{"authors":[{"ID":319752,"user_firstname":"Elizabeth","user_lastname":"Menezes","nickname":"Elizabeth Menezes","user_nicename":"elizabeth-menezes","display_name":"Elizabeth Ashley Menezes","user_email":"emenezes@esri.com","user_url":"","user_registered":"2022-10-07 16:23:06","user_description":"Hello, World! \r\nElizabeth here to share my world with the world one map at a time! I am a Raster Product Engineer with the Imagery & Remote Sensing team. I focus and work on UX\/UI design and development of RADAR & SAR based capabilities at Esri. My education is in geophysics and my thesis work centered around understanding induced earthquake occurrences using seismic data and satellite imagery. As an advocate for science communication, I enjoy bridging the gap between science and design \u2014 combining my technical knowledge with my keen eye for design to create beautiful science.","user_avatar":""}],"short_description":"This article will answer questions such as \u201cWhat is SAR?\u201d, \"How does SAR work?\", \u201cWhat can SAR be used for?\u201d, and \u201cHow is SAR beneficial?\u201d. ","flexible_content":[{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":1822812,"id":1822812,"title":"swipe_crop","filename":"swipe_crop.gif","filesize":854850,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/01\/swipe_crop.gif","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-pro\/imagery\/introduction-to-synthetic-aperture-radar\/swipe_crop","alt":"","author":"319752","description":"","caption":"An example of an optical image with clouds present and a clear SAR image of Balikpapan Bay, Indonesia (Source: LANDSAT 8 and Sentinel-1). ","name":"swipe_crop","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":1822372,"date":"2023-01-24 01:17:25","modified":"2023-01-24 19:13:19","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/gif","type":"image","subtype":"gif","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":400,"height":325,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/01\/swipe_crop-213x200.gif","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/01\/swipe_crop.gif","medium-width":321,"medium-height":261,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/01\/swipe_crop.gif","medium_large-width":400,"medium_large-height":325,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/01\/swipe_crop.gif","large-width":400,"large-height":325,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/01\/swipe_crop.gif","1536x1536-width":400,"1536x1536-height":325,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/01\/swipe_crop.gif","2048x2048-width":400,"2048x2048-height":325,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/01\/swipe_crop.gif","card_image-width":400,"card_image-height":325,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/01\/swipe_crop.gif","wide_image-width":400,"wide_image-height":325}},"image_position":"right","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

What come<\/span>s<\/span> to mind when you <\/span>picture a<\/span> satellite image?<\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

If it\u2019s <\/span>a<\/span> photo <\/span>of the earth taken from a<\/span> bird\u2019s eye view, then you <\/span>like many others a<\/span>re most familiar with <\/span>satellite <\/span>imagery that <\/span>is<\/span> an <\/span>\u201c<\/span>optical image<\/span>\u201d.<\/span> This type of imagery <\/span>uses<\/span> \u201cpassive sensing\u201d<\/span>,<\/span> which means that <\/span>the sun<\/span> acts<\/span> as a<\/span> light source <\/span>to capture visible light<\/span>.<\/span> It works in a similar <\/span>way<\/span> our<\/span> phone <\/span>camera<\/span> takes a picture <\/span>without <\/span>the <\/span>flash enabled. <\/span>Unfortunately, <\/span>when the sun <\/span>goes<\/span> down<\/span> or<\/span> there are clouds in the sk<\/span>y<\/span>, <\/span>a satellite with an optical<\/span> sensor <\/span>is unable to <\/span>get clear images<\/span>. <\/span>In cases <\/span>when<\/span> daylight or weather is an issue for optical sensors, <\/span>satellites with <\/span>Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR)<\/span> sensor<\/span>s<\/span> can <\/span>help<\/span> and deliver solutions for <\/span>real-world problems<\/span>. <\/span>This means that we can now study<\/span> places<\/span> at the <\/span>poles where the Artic is dark <\/span>during the winter months <\/span>or in tropical regions where there <\/span>is <\/span>high moisture and cloud coverage.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

What can SAR be used for?<\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

Since<\/span> SAR can <\/span>penetrate<\/span> through darkness, clouds, and rain<\/span>,<\/span> it<\/span> can be used to detect <\/span>changes in the environment due to <\/span>natural <\/span>or human induced events<\/span> such<\/span> as<\/span> flooding<\/span>, oil spills<\/span>, <\/span>deforestation<\/span>, ship detection, and sea <\/span>ice <\/span>(<\/span>to name a few<\/span>)<\/span>. <\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":1822512,"id":1822512,"title":"blogFig_apps","filename":"blogFig_apps-scaled.png","filesize":510746,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/01\/blogFig_apps-scaled.png","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-pro\/imagery\/introduction-to-synthetic-aperture-radar\/blogfig_apps","alt":"","author":"319752","description":"","caption":"","name":"blogfig_apps","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":1822372,"date":"2023-01-23 23:30:10","modified":"2023-01-23 23:30:10","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":2560,"height":1458,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/01\/blogFig_apps-213x200.png","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/01\/blogFig_apps-scaled.png","medium-width":458,"medium-height":261,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/01\/blogFig_apps-scaled.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":437,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/01\/blogFig_apps-scaled.png","large-width":1896,"large-height":1080,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/01\/blogFig_apps-1536x875.png","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":875,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/01\/blogFig_apps-2048x1166.png","2048x2048-width":2048,"2048x2048-height":1166,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/01\/blogFig_apps-816x465.png","card_image-width":816,"card_image-height":465,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/01\/blogFig_apps-1896x1080.png","wide_image-width":1896,"wide_image-height":1080}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

How does SAR work?<\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

SAR sensors use \u201cactive sensing\u201d<\/span>,<\/span> which <\/span>do not<\/span> rely on the sun for a source to produce a \u201cSAR image\u201d. This sensor sends<\/span> signal<\/span>s<\/span> to the<\/span> Earth\u2019s surface <\/span>and the<\/span> reflected <\/span>signal<\/span>s<\/span> th<\/span>at<\/span> travel back<\/span> to the sensor <\/span>are <\/span>called <\/span>the <\/span>\u201c<\/span>measure<\/span>d<\/span> backscatter\u201d. A SAR image is <\/span>simply <\/span>a 2D rendering of the measured backscatter.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":1822502,"id":1822502,"title":"esriWeb-introFigs_Active sensing (white)","filename":"esriWeb-introFigs_Active-sensing-white.png","filesize":264244,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/01\/esriWeb-introFigs_Active-sensing-white.png","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-pro\/imagery\/introduction-to-synthetic-aperture-radar\/esriweb-introfigs_active-sensing-white","alt":"","author":"319752","description":"","caption":"An optical sensor (left) only works with clear, sunny skies. A SAR sensor (right) can work during the day and night, and even when clouds are present.","name":"esriweb-introfigs_active-sensing-white","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":1822372,"date":"2023-01-23 23:28:57","modified":"2023-01-23 23:30:47","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":2365,"height":1970,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/01\/esriWeb-introFigs_Active-sensing-white-213x200.png","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/01\/esriWeb-introFigs_Active-sensing-white.png","medium-width":313,"medium-height":261,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/01\/esriWeb-introFigs_Active-sensing-white.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":640,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/01\/esriWeb-introFigs_Active-sensing-white.png","large-width":1297,"large-height":1080,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/01\/esriWeb-introFigs_Active-sensing-white-1536x1279.png","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1279,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/01\/esriWeb-introFigs_Active-sensing-white-2048x1706.png","2048x2048-width":2048,"2048x2048-height":1706,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/01\/esriWeb-introFigs_Active-sensing-white-558x465.png","card_image-width":558,"card_image-height":465,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/01\/esriWeb-introFigs_Active-sensing-white-1297x1080.png","wide_image-width":1297,"wide_image-height":1080}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

The<\/span> type of signal sent from the sensor <\/span>is a<\/span> pulse of<\/span> electromagnetic<\/span> energy<\/span> that can <\/span>\u201csee\u201d through<\/span> clouds, smoke, and rain<\/span>.<\/span> The wavelength of the signal <\/span>determines the penetration depth<\/span>;<\/span> t<\/span>he longer the wavelength the deeper th<\/span>e <\/span>signal can <\/span>pen<\/span>etrate<\/span> and see through<\/span> a terrain\u2019s vegetation<\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":1822522,"id":1822522,"title":"esriWeb-introFigs_Microwave wavelength","filename":"esriWeb-introFigs_Microwave-wavelength.png","filesize":119347,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/01\/esriWeb-introFigs_Microwave-wavelength.png","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-pro\/imagery\/introduction-to-synthetic-aperture-radar\/esriweb-introfigs_microwave-wavelength","alt":"","author":"319752","description":"","caption":"Electromagnetic spectrum showing short to long wavelengths and the respective types of waves (from left to right \u2013 gamma rays, x-rays, ultraviolet, visible, infrared, microwave, radio) as well as the different bands (K, X, C, S, L , P) that SAR sensors can use are available within the microwave range.","name":"esriweb-introfigs_microwave-wavelength","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":1822372,"date":"2023-01-23 23:32:19","modified":"2025-05-12 19:22:36","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":2468,"height":978,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/01\/esriWeb-introFigs_Microwave-wavelength-213x200.png","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/01\/esriWeb-introFigs_Microwave-wavelength.png","medium-width":464,"medium-height":184,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/01\/esriWeb-introFigs_Microwave-wavelength.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":304,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/01\/esriWeb-introFigs_Microwave-wavelength.png","large-width":1920,"large-height":761,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/01\/esriWeb-introFigs_Microwave-wavelength-1536x609.png","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":609,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/01\/esriWeb-introFigs_Microwave-wavelength-2048x812.png","2048x2048-width":2048,"2048x2048-height":812,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/01\/esriWeb-introFigs_Microwave-wavelength-826x327.png","card_image-width":826,"card_image-height":327,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/01\/esriWeb-introFigs_Microwave-wavelength-1920x761.png","wide_image-width":1920,"wide_image-height":761}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

But<\/span> wait, <\/span>what <\/span>exactly is Synthetic Aperture Radar?<\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

First, I\u2019ll start by explaining \u201cRadar\u201d. R-A-D-A-R stands for RAdio Detection and Ranging. The satellite\u2019s sensor transmits pulses of radiofrequency energy to detect objects and determine the distance (ranging) relative to the satellite. It’s good to note that radiofrequency energy is a broad type of electromagnetic energy which contain microwaves. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That just leaves the \u201cSynthetic Aperture\u201d part.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Using optical technology, we can adjust a camera\u2019s aperture, opening through which light travels, to increase the brightness and resolution of a photo to capture a clearer image.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":1822532,"id":1822532,"title":"esriWeb-introFigs_Spatial resolution","filename":"esriWeb-introFigs_Spatial-resolution.png","filesize":170139,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/01\/esriWeb-introFigs_Spatial-resolution.png","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-pro\/imagery\/introduction-to-synthetic-aperture-radar\/esriweb-introfigs_spatial-resolution","alt":"","author":"319752","description":"","caption":"Increasing the camera aperture size for a given sensor allows for more light to enter, thereby increasing the resolution of the pictures.","name":"esriweb-introfigs_spatial-resolution","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":1822372,"date":"2023-01-23 23:33:25","modified":"2023-01-23 23:33:39","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1558,"height":900,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/01\/esriWeb-introFigs_Spatial-resolution-213x200.png","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/01\/esriWeb-introFigs_Spatial-resolution.png","medium-width":452,"medium-height":261,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/01\/esriWeb-introFigs_Spatial-resolution.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":444,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/01\/esriWeb-introFigs_Spatial-resolution.png","large-width":1558,"large-height":900,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/01\/esriWeb-introFigs_Spatial-resolution-1536x887.png","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":887,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/01\/esriWeb-introFigs_Spatial-resolution.png","2048x2048-width":1558,"2048x2048-height":900,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/01\/esriWeb-introFigs_Spatial-resolution-805x465.png","card_image-width":805,"card_image-height":465,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/01\/esriWeb-introFigs_Spatial-resolution.png","wide_image-width":1558,"wide_image-height":900}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

The \u201caperture\u201d in SAR uses similar concepts to that of a camera<\/span> in that increasing the aperture increases resolution. <\/span>However, in <\/span>this case<\/span> the aperture <\/span>has to do with<\/span> how much energy an antenna can <\/span>receive,<\/span> and the resolution is <\/span>a spatial resolution<\/span>. <\/span>Since<\/span> a satellite antenna <\/span>would need to be <\/span>hundreds of times greater in size to capture images of the Earth\u2019s surface<\/span> (<\/span>which would be ridiculously large and <\/span>physically impossible to launch into orbit<\/span>)<\/span>, w<\/span>e<\/span> \u201c<\/span>synthetically<\/span>\u201d<\/span> simulate a large aperture<\/span>.<\/span> A<\/span>s the satellite <\/span>orbits<\/span>, the <\/span>SAR <\/span>sensor sends <\/span>and records <\/span>several pulses<\/span> to the ground<\/span> as it passes over an area. <\/span>This <\/span>advanced data recording<\/span> combined with signal processing techniques, enables a SAR sensor with a short antenna to synthetically elongate its antenna, which enhances its spatial resolution<\/span> to produce a single high-resolution SAR image<\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":1822542,"id":1822542,"title":"Spatial resolution GIF","filename":"Spatial-resolution-GIF.gif","filesize":281752,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Spatial-resolution-GIF.gif","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-pro\/imagery\/introduction-to-synthetic-aperture-radar\/spatial-resolution-gif","alt":"","author":"319752","description":"","caption":"Depiction of synthetically increasing aperture for a given sensor and using concepts from camera optics to analogize the processes. ","name":"spatial-resolution-gif","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":1822372,"date":"2023-01-23 23:35:00","modified":"2023-01-23 23:35:44","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/gif","type":"image","subtype":"gif","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":374,"height":424,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Spatial-resolution-GIF-213x200.gif","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Spatial-resolution-GIF.gif","medium-width":230,"medium-height":261,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Spatial-resolution-GIF.gif","medium_large-width":374,"medium_large-height":424,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Spatial-resolution-GIF.gif","large-width":374,"large-height":424,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Spatial-resolution-GIF.gif","1536x1536-width":374,"1536x1536-height":424,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Spatial-resolution-GIF.gif","2048x2048-width":374,"2048x2048-height":424,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Spatial-resolution-GIF.gif","card_image-width":374,"card_image-height":424,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Spatial-resolution-GIF.gif","wide_image-width":374,"wide_image-height":424}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

What are the benefits?<\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

In summary, anytime, anywhere, SAR can be used for locating and mapping the Earth, characterizing changes over time, and tracking moving objects. As previously mentioned, SAR can be used to detect changes in the environment due to natural or human induced events such as flooding<\/span>, oil spills<\/span>, <\/span>deforestation<\/span>, ship detection, and sea <\/span>ice<\/span><\/span>. However, there are many more SAR applications than just these. With that said, I along with the Esri Imagery and Remote Sensing<\/a> team invite you to explore the exciting new insights that SAR data can provide. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you would like to explore some applications using SAR data and take a deeper dive into the world of SAR visit the StoryMap – Guide: Fundamentals of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR)<\/a>.<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n"}],"related_articles":[{"ID":1822372,"post_author":"319752","post_date":"2023-01-25 15:24:05","post_date_gmt":"2023-01-25 23:24:05","post_content":"","post_title":"Introduction to Synthetic Aperture Radar","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"introduction-to-synthetic-aperture-radar","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-05-12 12:24:03","post_modified_gmt":"2025-05-12 19:24:03","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/?post_type=blog&p=1822372","menu_order":0,"post_type":"blog","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1939612,"post_author":"319752","post_date":"2023-05-25 20:05:55","post_date_gmt":"2023-05-26 03:05:55","post_content":"","post_title":"Simple steps to add SAR satellite data to your ArcGIS Pro map","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"simple-steps-to-add-sar-satellite-data-to-your-arcgis-pro-map","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-12-01 10:10:49","post_modified_gmt":"2023-12-01 18:10:49","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/?post_type=blog&p=1939612","menu_order":0,"post_type":"blog","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2026872,"post_author":"319752","post_date":"2023-07-25 17:57:49","post_date_gmt":"2023-07-26 00:57:49","post_content":"","post_title":"Getting started with SAR satellite imagery","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"getting-started-with-sar-satellite-imagery","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-23 14:44:54","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-23 21:44:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/?post_type=blog&p=2026872","menu_order":0,"post_type":"blog","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/07\/emenezes-esriBlog-01_cards.png","wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/07\/emenezes-esriBlog-01_saturated_banner.png","show_article_image":false},"yoast_head":"\nIntroduction to Synthetic Aperture Radar<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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