On the visualization of polarimetric response

Abstract

Measurements from polarimetric radar systems are often represented in the form of a pair of polarization response curves, one showing the co-polarized response, the other the cross-polarized. This representation is effectively a latitude-longitude plot of the Poincaré sphere. Despite its familiarity in the literature, this presentation of the polarimetric response fails to present optimally the data in an intuitive and straightforward manner. As an alternative, this work describes a polar projection that presents the data in a manner that is more effective at communicating the key aspects of the polarization response. The key advantages are that the orientation and helicity are immediately apparent, and that the equal area projection does not bias the visual emphasis towards circular polarizations.