Marco Lavalle

Marco LavalleCurriculum VitaeContactsEuropean Space Agency - ESA/ESRINVia Galileo Galilei, 100144 Frascati (Italy)Phone: +39 06 94180948E-mail: marco.lavalle@gmail.comPersonal InformationResearch InterestsUniversité de Rennes 1Institut d’Électronique et de Télécommunications de Rennes, UMR CNRS 6164Campus de Beaulieu, 35042 Rennes Cedex (France)Phone: +33 06 23235571E-mail: marco.lavalle@univ-rennes1.frWeb: http://sites.google.com/site/marcolavalle/Nationality: ItalianGender: MaleDate of birth: 26 February 1982Synthetic Aperture Radar data processing, calibration and exploitation using polarimetricand interferometric technique.Education Ph.D., Radar Remote Sensing, in progress (expected Dec. 2009)Co-tutored from Tor Vergata University of Rome and University of Rennes 1Thesis: Compact and Full Polarimetric Synthetic Aperture Radar: processing, calibrationand interferometric data exploitationAdvisers: Prof. Domenico Solimini, Prof. Eric PottierM.S., Telecommunication Engineering, July 2006Tor Vergata University (Rome, Italy)Thesis: SAR images parallel orthorectification for GRID computing systemsFinal mark: 110/110 cum laudeB.S., Telecommunication Engineering, July 2004Tor Vergata University (Rome, Italy)Final mark: 110/110 cum laudeEmployment9/2006–presentScientific consultant at European Space Agency (ESA/ESRIN) - Ground Segment Department.Defined and implemented calibration procedures for polarimetric radar missions(ALOS-PALSAR, Sentinel-1).1/2006–7/2006 Internship at European Space Agency (ESA/ESRIN) - Space Applications Department.Developed an orthorectification tool of ENVISAT-ASAR images for the parallel computingenvironment G-PoD at ESA/ESRIN.1

Research ExperiencePolarimetric SAR Interferometry– Implemented and improved the whole polarimetric and interferometric processingchain including: coregistration of SLC products, coherence estimation and statisticalanalysis, interferogram optimization, generation of flat Earth and verticalwavenumber maps, interferogram flattening and vegetation parameters estimation.– Developed new algorithms of POLINSAR coherence optimization (FRINGE2007).– Proposed a new procedure for forest parameters retrieval based on the correctionof distortions induced by terrain slope. Tested over airborne and spaceborne SARdata (IGARSS2008, ALOS-PI-SYMPOSIUM2008, POLINSAR2009).Compact Polarimetry– Introduced the interferometric formulation of the compact polarimetry based onthe reconstruction of the pseudo full polarimetric information (EUSAR 2008).– Pointed out the effects of the SAR receiver on the quantization noise for compactpolarimetric data (POLINSAR2009).SAR Calibration– Proposed the estimation of Faraday rotation from unfocussed raw data to detectrapid spatial variations of total electron content in the ionosphere (POLINSAR2009).– Developed a calibration algorithm for dual-pol data based on gridded trihedrals;designed a specific procedure for the future ESA mission Sentinel-1 (CEOS2008).– Prepared the official ESA technical document for the absolute and polarimetriccalibration of the third-party mission ALOS-PALSAR.Forward Vegetation Modeling– Tested and debugged the forward coherent SAR model embedded in POLSARPROSIM.Analyzed the dependence of bio-physical parameters on the POLINSAR coherence.– Studied the differences between the RVOG coherence model and the POLINSARobservables estimated from PolSARProSIM output.Basic SAR Processing– Tested and debugged the ESA ALOS-PALSAR Verification Processor during its developmentphase and provided support for the project managing.– Investigated on the effects of the non-linearity of the ALOS-PALSAR VerificationProcessor for the synthesis of compact polarimetric data and for the estimation ofFaraday rotation.Parallel Computing– Designed and implemented in Bash scripting an automatic POLINSAR processingenvironment for parallel processing of SAR simulated and real data.– Designed and developed in IDL an efficient tool for the orthorectification and mosaickingof large amount of data in distributed systems (ENVISATSYMPOSIUM2007).Contribution to the Toolbox POLSARPROProvided several C routines: ingestion of orbital timing/positions from PALSARproduct header, generation of vertical wavenumber and flat Earth maps, optimizationof POLINSAR coherence, synthesis/reconstruction of compact polarimetricand interferometric data, polarimetric calibration, Faraday rotation estimation,generation of incidence angle map.2

Honors and AwardsMemberships2007–presentCompetence and SkillsPublicationsJournal Papers (2)European conference on Synthetic Aperture Radar (EUSAR) 2008Best Student Paper AwardInternational Space University (ISU)Fellowship for the Summer Session Program at Beihang University (Beijing, China)Graduated as ISU Alumni 2007Student Member, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)Reviewer of IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON GEOSCIENCE AND REMOTE SENSING and IEEEGEOSCIENCE AND REMOTE SENSING LETTERSTechnical skillC, IDL, Matlab, Bash/Perl, LaTeX, electromagnetic and antenna simulatorsLanguagesItalian (mother tongue), English (read, written and spoken: fluent), French (read,written and spoken: intermediate)M. Lavalle, D. Solimini, and E. Pottier, “Compact polarimetric SAR interferometry,” (invited, in review)IET Radar, Sonar and Navigation Journal, Dec. 2008.M. Lavalle, D. Solimini, E. Pottier, M. Williams, and Y.-L. Desnos, “The repeat-pass polarimetricinterferometry of ALOS-PALSAR for forest parameter inversion,” (in review) IEEE Transactions onGeoscience and Remote Sensing, Nov. 2008.Technical Reports (2)M. Lavalle. Polarimetric calibration of ALOS-PALSAR sensor. Technical report, European SpaceAgency, Frascati (Italy), August 2007.M. Lavalle. Dual-polarimetric calibration of Sentinel-1 C-band sar data. Technical report, EuropeanSpace Agency, Frascati (Italy), November 2008.International Conference Papers (20)M. Lavalle, E. Pottier, D. Solimini, and Y.-L. Desnos, “The feasibility of a compact polarimetric syntheticaperture radar for PolSAR and PolInSAR applications,” Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium,2009. IGARSS 2009. IEEE International, July 2009.——, “Forest parameters inversion using polarimetric and interferometric SAR data,” Geoscience andRemote Sensing Symposium, 2009. IGARSS 2009. IEEE International, July 2009.M. Lavalle, M. Williams, S. Hensley, D. Solimini, and E. Pottier, “Dependence of P-band interferometricheight on forest parameters from simulation and observation,” Geoscience and Remote SensingSymposium, 2009. IGARSS 2009. IEEE International, July 2009.M. Lavalle and L. Ferro-Famil, “Time-frequency analysis over urban areas using ALOS-PALSAR data,”Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium, 2009. IGARSS 2009. IEEE International, July 2009.E. Pottier, L. Ferro-Famil, S. Allain, S. Cloude, I. Hajnsek, K. Papathanassiou, A. Moreira, M. Williams,A. Minchella, M. Lavalle, and Y.-L. Desnos, “Overview of the PolSARpro v4.0 software,” presentedat PolInSAR workshop 2009, Frascati, Italy, 2009.3

M. Lavalle, D. Solimini, E. Pottier, and Y.-L. Desnos, “Compact polarimetric sar interferometry: PAL-SAR observations and associated reconstruction algorithms,” presented at PolInSAR workshop2008, Frascati, Italy, 2009.M. Lavalle, D. Solimini, B. Rosich, and E. Pottier, “Calibration of dual polarimetric C-band sar data:A possible approach for Sentinel-1,” presented at PolInSAR workshop 2008, Frascati, Italy, 2009.M. Lavalle, D. Solimini, E. Pottier, and N. Miranda, “Faraday rotation estimation from unfocussedraw data: Analysis using ALOS-PALSAR data,” presented at PolInSAR workshop 2008, Frascati,Italy, 2009.M. Lavalle, D. Solimini, E. Pottier, and Y.-L. Desnos, “The dependence of the PolInSAR degree ofcoherence on forest parameters,” presented at PolInSAR workshop 2008, Frascati, Italy, 2009.M. Lavalle, D. Solimini, E. Pottier, Y.-L. Desnos, B. Rosich, N. Miranda, and M. Santuari, “A new approachfor PolInSAR forest parameters inversion: Results using the ESA ALOS-PALSAR prototypeprocessor,” presented at PolInSAR workshop 2008, Frascati, Italy, 2009.M. Lavalle, B. Rosich, N. Miranda, E. Pottier, and D. Solimini, “Dual-polarimetric SAR data calibration:A possible approach for Sentinel-1,” presented at CEOS Workshop 2008, Oberpfaffenhofen-Wessling, Germany, 2008.M. Lavalle, D. Solimini, E. Pottier, and Y.-L. Desnos, “Theory and PALSAR observation of the compactPolInSAR π/4 mode,” presented at International ALOS PI Symposium 2008, Rhodes, Greece, Nov.2008.P. Wright, P. Meadows, G. Mack, N. Miranda, and M. Lavalle, “Aden ALOS-PALSAR product verification,”presented at International ALOS PI Symposium 2008, Rhodes, Greece, Nov. 2008.M. Lavalle, D. Solimini, E. Pottier, and Y.-L. Desnos, “PolInSAR for forest biomass retrieval: PAL-SAR observations and model analysis,” Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium, 2008. IGARSS2008. IEEE International, vol. 3, pp. III –302–III –305, July 2008.——, “Investigation of Compact Polarimetry in SAR Interferometry,” in Proceedings of European SARConference (EUSAR) 2008, Friedrichshafen, Germany, Jun. 2008, pp. 45–48.M. Lavalle, “Compact polarimetric sar interferometry: Theory and PALSAR observations,” presentedat IEEE GOLD Conference 2008, Frascati, Italy, Jun. 2008.M. Lavalle, D. Solimini, E. Pottier, and Y.-L. Desnos, “Comparison of models of PolInSAR coherencefor forest height retrieval using PolInSAR simulated data,” in Proceedings of Fringe Workshop2007, Frascati, Italy, Nov. 2007.R. Cossu, L. Fusco, F. Brito, P. Goncalves, and M. Lavalle, “Global automatic orthorectification ofasar products in esrin gpod,” in Proceedings of Envisat Symposium 2007, Montreaux, Switzerland,Jun. 2007.E. Angiuli, F. Del Frate, A. Della Vecchia, M. Lavalle, D. Solimini, and G. Licciardi, “Inversion algorithmscomparison using L-band simulated polarimetric interferometric data for forest parametersestimation,” Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium, 2007. IGARSS 2007. IEEE International,pp. 2477–2480, July 2007.R. Cossu, M. Lavalle, and M. Paces, “High resolution large scale mosaics of orthorectified ASAR productson ESA G-POD,” in Proceedings of Second Workshop on Grid e-collaboration Space Community,Frascati, Italy, Nov. 2007.March 9, 20094