Parallel acceleration of path-following phase unwrapping algorithms using tile-based OpenMP processing
Journal of Applied Remote Sensing, vol.20, no.2, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Publication Type: Article / Article
- Volume: 20 Issue: 2
- Publication Date: 2026
- Doi Number: 10.1117/1.jrs.20.024509
- Journal Name: Journal of Applied Remote Sensing
- Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Compendex, INSPEC
- Keywords: OpenMP, parallelization, path following, phase unwrapping, synthetic aperture radar interferometry
- Hacettepe University Affiliated: Yes
Abstract
We propose a parallel tile-based architecture for accelerating path-following phase unwrapping algorithms used in digital elevation model (DEM) generation from synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images via interferometric processing (InSAR). In the proposed approach, the input interferogram is partitioned into a configuration-dependent number of tiles, each of which is processed concurrently using a selected phase unwrapping algorithm. The resulting DEM tiles are then combined through a dedicated tile merging module, where continuity across tile boundaries is enforced by minimizing discontinuities and ensuring smooth transitions. The performance of the proposed framework is evaluated using both synthetic and real SAR datasets, considering execution time and generated DEM accuracy in terms of root mean square error. In addition, the obtained results are compared with existing parallelization and tile-merging approaches in the literature. Experimental findings demonstrate that the proposed architecture significantly improves computational efficiency while preserving the structural integrity of the reconstructed DEM, thereby enhancing the practical applicability of path-following phase unwrapping methods for large-scale InSAR data processing.