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

• Main Authors: Francesc C. Conesa, Núria Devanthéry, Andrea L. Balbo, Marco Madella, Oriol Monserrat
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2014-11-01
• Series: Remote Sensing
• Subjects: ENVISAT; SAR amplitude; Indian summer monsoon; archaeology; water areas; land use
• Online Access: http://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/6/11/11420

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.