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Abstract. Using different combinations of 29 Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (ASAR) images, 43 Digital Elevations Models (DEM) were generated adopting SAR Interferometry (InSAR) technique. Due to sand movement in desert terrain, there is a poor phase correlation between different SAR images. Therefore, suitable methodology for generating DEMs of Kuwait desert terrain using InSAR technique were worked out. Time series analysis was adopted to derive the best DEM out of 43 DEMs. The problems related to phase de-correlation over desert terrain are discussed. Various errors associated with the DEM generation are discussed which include atmospheric effects, penetration into soil medium, sand movement. The DEM of Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) is used as a reference. The noise levels of DEM of SRTM are presented.

A coral reef ecosystem is one of the most complex marine environmental systems on planet, defined as biologically diverse and immense. It plays an important role in maintaining a vast biological diversity for future generations and functions as an essential spawning, nursery, breeding and feeding ground for many kinds of marine species. In addition, coral reef ecosystems provide valuable benefits such as fisheries, ecological goods and services and recreational activitiesto many communities. However, this valuable resource is highly threatened by a number of environmental changes and anthropogenic impacts that can lead to reduced coral growth and production, mass coral mortality and loss of coral diversity. With the growth of these threats on coral reef ecosystems, there is a strong management need for mapping and monitoring of coral reef ecosystems. Remote sensing technology can be a valuable tool for mapping and monitoring of coral reefs. However, the diversity and complexity of coral reef ecosystems, the resolution capabilities of satellite sensorsand the low reflectivity of shallow water environments increases the difficulties to identify and classify its features. This study will develop improved methods to map and monitor coral reef ecosystems based on image fusion techniques applied to satellite images exhibiting high spatial and low to medium spectral resolution with images exhibiting low spatial and high spectral resolution. The research will be applied to the Kuwait’s southern coral reefs: Kubbar and Um Al-Maradim, to develop and test the image fusion techniques and to investigate environmental changes over the coral reef ecosystems. Prior to image analysis the effects of depth attenuation on thetransmitted electromagnetic signal will be investigated and accounted for. The selected images of the sites will be classified into object classesusing a number of pixel-based digital image classification methods (supervised and unsupervised classification). A number of image fusion methods will be examined to fuse the high spectral resolution and low spatial resolution image with the low spectral resolution and high spatial resolution image. The images will be potentially combined using a principal components analysis (PCA) resolution merge technique and wavelet image fusion methods. A new method will be developed to fuse hyperspectral imagery (possibly Hyperion) with multispectral imagery (possibly Worldview 2). The fused image will have a large number of spectral bands and this will potentially provide more useful and accurate information. In addition, a new fusion method will be potentially developed to combine information from different sources not only at the pixel level but also based at the object level. The large number of image objects will help to accurately classify the image data. Accuracy assessment use ground truth will be performed for the selected methods to determine the quality of the information derived from image classification. Refereed/Peer-reviewed