Advanced SAR and InSAR techniques for monitoring surface deformations caused by seismic activities using TerraSAR-X and TanDEM-X SAR images

Abstract

The space-borne Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Interferometric (InSAR) technique provides a powerful tool for surveying the surface changes covering areas from several to a hundred kilometers in size at a theoretical accuracy in the millimeter-range. It is widely applied for detecting deformations caused by geophysical and tectonic activities, such as earthquakes, volcanic activities, etc. Nevertheless the accuracy and availability of deformation measurements using InSAR techniques is limited due to decorrelation effects, atmospheric disturbances, the SAR side-looking geometry (which causes layover and shadowing). In order to overcome the limitations, advanced techniques have been developed based on high-resolution SAR acquisitions. In this paper, we will present our recent researches and achievements on advanced SAR and InSAR techniques using both high-resolution and wide-swath SAR images generated from recent satellite missions: TerraSAR-X and TanDEM-X.