Potential of sar interferometry in assessment and prediction of natural hazards

ABSTRACT

Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imaging techniques provide an excellent intrinsic geometic precision of a few metres. However, this precision may be improved by three orders of magnitude when special conditions allow the use of the radar wavelength (some millimetres) as a ranging tool, a technique called SAR interferometry. The methodis very accurate for small movement detection, as C.N.E.S. demostrated by the mapping of the displacement field of the Landers, California 28 June 1992 earthuake. SAR interferometry may also be used to create digital elevation models and is potentially applicable to domains such as tectonic faulting, landslides, or volcano monitoring. (AU)