Preprocessing of Sentinel-1 SAR data via Snappy Python module

Preprocessing of Sentinel-1 SAR data via Snappy Python module

m

August 1, 2016

This chapter demonstrates the Snappy Python module for the automatization of the ESA SNAP tool.

Code examples will be shown for an automated processing chain for the preprocessing of Sentinel-1 SAR data including Calibration, Subsetting and Terrain Correction of GRD (Ground Range Detected data).

A detailed installation tutorial for snappy can be found here: https://senbox.atlassian.net/wiki/display/SNAP/How+to+use+the+SNAP+API+from+Python

First, import the needed Python modules:

 

import snappy

from snappy import ProductIO
from snappy import HashMap

import os, gc   
from snappy import GPF

GPF.getDefaultInstance().getOperatorSpiRegistry().loadOperatorSpis()
HashMap = snappy.jpy.get_type('java.util.HashMap')

Now loop through all Sentinel-1 data sub folders that are located within a super folder (of course, make sure, that the data is already unzipped):

path = "D:\\SENTINEL\\"
 for folder in os.listdir(path):

   gc.enable()
   
   output = path + folder + "\\"  
   timestamp = folder.split("_")[4] 
   date = timestamp[:8]

Then, read in the Sentinel-1 data product:

   sentinel_1 = ProductIO.readProduct(output + "\\manifest.safe")    
   print sentinel_1

If polarization bands are available, spolit up your code to process VH and VV intensity data separately. The first step is the calibration procedure by transforming the DN values to Sigma Naught respectively. You can specify the parameters to output the Image in Decibels as well.

   pols = ['VH','VV'] 
   for p in pols:  
      polarization = p    
    
      ### CALIBRATION
  
      parameters = HashMap() 
      parameters.put('outputSigmaBand', True) 
      parameters.put('sourceBands', 'Intensity_' + polarization) 
      parameters.put('selectedPolarisations', polarization) 
      parameters.put('outputImageScaleInDb', False)  

      calib = output + date + "_calibrate_" + polarization 
      target_0 = GPF.createProduct("Calibration", parameters, sentinel_1) 
      ProductIO.writeProduct(target_0, calib, 'BEAM-DIMAP')

Next, specify a subset AOI to reduce the data amount and processing time. The AOI specified by its outer polygon corners and is formatted through a Well Known Text (WKT).

      ### SUBSET

      calibration = ProductIO.readProduct(calib + ".dim")    
      WKTReader = snappy.jpy.get_type('com.vividsolutions.jts.io.WKTReader')

      wkt = "POLYGON((12.76221 53.70951, 12.72085 54.07433, 13.58674 54.07981, 
                      13.59605 53.70875, 12.76221 53.70951))"

      geom = WKTReader().read(wkt)

      parameters = HashMap()
      parameters.put('geoRegion', geom)
      parameters.put('outputImageScaleInDb', False)

      subset = output + date + "_subset_" + polarization
      target_1 = GPF.createProduct("Subset", parameters, calibration)
      ProductIO.writeProduct(target_1, subset, 'BEAM-DIMAP')

Apply a Range Doppler Terrain Correction to correct for layover and foreshortening effects, by using the SRTM 3 arcsecond product (90m) that is downloaded automatically. You could also specify an own DEM product with a higher spatial resolution from a local path:

      ### TERRAIN CORRECTION
 
      parameters = HashMap()     
      parameters.put('demResamplingMethod', 'NEAREST_NEIGHBOUR') 
      parameters.put('imgResamplingMethod', 'NEAREST_NEIGHBOUR') 
      parameters.put('demName', 'SRTM 3Sec') 
      parameters.put('pixelSpacingInMeter', 10.0) 
      parameters.put('sourceBands', 'Sigma0_' + polarization)
 
      terrain = output + date + "_corrected_" + polarization 
      target_2 = GPF.createProduct("Terrain-Correction", parameters, subset) 
      ProductIO.writeProduct(target_2, terrain, 'GeoTIFF')

Fergana_Sentinel

follow us and share it on:

you may also like:

Invitation to EORC Talk: Population & Geography

Invitation to EORC Talk: Population & Geography

In their joint talk, Sebastian Klüsener and Tamilwai Kolowa will provide an overview of interdisciplinary research at the Federal Institute for Population Research (BiB) combining demography, geography, and spatial analysis with Earth observation (EO) data. The talk...

EORC at the Savanna Science Network Meeting in Skukuza

EORC at the Savanna Science Network Meeting in Skukuza

Researchers from the Earth Observation Research Cluster (EORC) at the University of Würzburg are pleased to take part in this year’s Savanna Science Network Meeting, held in Skukuza, Kruger National Park. Our EORC is represented by Dr. Mirjana Bevanda and PhD...

CHARM-EU workshop on earth observation

CHARM-EU workshop on earth observation

This week, the CHARM-EU teaching by the EORC staff continued. Over the past days, Florian Betz stayed at the University of Montpellier for a workshop with the water track master students of CHARM-EU. Topic of the workshop was the use of earth observation and...

Guest talk at ENS Lyon

Guest talk at ENS Lyon

Our PI Florian Betz was invited to give a seminar talk about his research on remote sensing of river dynamics at the ENS Lyon in France. The seminar "Cafe Fluvial" is part of the doctoral training and research network "H2O Lyon" in which a number of research...

Successful MSc Defense by Lena Jäger

Successful MSc Defense by Lena Jäger

On 24 February 2026, EAGLE MSc student Lena Jäger successfully defended her Master’s thesis titled “Assessing the potential of thermal UAS for spatio-temporal Arctic snow monitoring – A pilot study in Bjørndalen, Svalbard.” Her work focused on one of the Arctic’s most...

Share This