Deformation measurement using SAR interferometry: Quantitative aspects

This paper addresses some key aspects of the quantitative measurement of land deformations using differential SAR interferometry. In the introduction, the most important quality aspects of deformation monitoring, i.e. the precision, accuracy and reliability of the estimates, are concisely described. Then a description of the main DInSAR techniques proposed in literature is given, addressing the fundamental aspect of the selection of the most suitable observations for the deformation estimation. This is followed by a discussion on the DInSAR capability to support a quantitative monitoring of deformations. In the last part is illustrated an example of DInSAR subsidence estimation based on multiple ascending and descending ERS SAR images, where the results obtained independently with the ascending and descending data are compared. Furthermore, the analysis of the atmospheric component performed over a stable area, is illustrated.