Abstract
Abstract. The rapid assessment of the evolution of the phenomena which occur during an emergency, along with an all weather and h24 monitoring capability, are probably the main characteristics of a system aimed at optimizing intervention in natural disasters, such as landslide collapses. A few techniques are able to provide all these features remotely, hence assuring safe conditions to operators. This paper reports on an application of the GB-InSAR (Ground-Based Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar) technique to monitor a landslide threatening an infrastructure, the A3 motorway in the Calabria Region (Southern Italy), in emergency conditions. Here, it is evaluated how well this technique is able to satisfy these requirements. On 30 January 2009, a mass movement never detected before and located near Santa Trada viaduct caused the closure of that sector of the A3 motorway. The prompt installation of a GB-InSAR permitted to follow and to understand the temporal evolution of the landslide until the end of the emergency and then safely reopen of the motorway. The main steps of the GB-InSAR interferometry data interpretation used in managing this emergency are described and discussed here. In detail, data collected through a continuous acquisition have permitted the division of the unstable area into three smaller zones characterized by different extents of displacement.
Highlights
In managing hydrogeological emergencies, a system able to ensure a continuous remote monitoring is of fundamental importance
On 30 January 2009 a mass movement never detected before and located near Santa Trada viaduct caused the closure of that sector of the A3 motorway in an area already affected by other landslides, causing further economic losses
Cumulative monthly rain values recorded near Scilla (Reggio Calabria – Calabria Region) were largely over the seasonal average and caused the saturation of soils for almost the entire period, worsening the already critical hydrogeological conditions
Summary
A system able to ensure a continuous remote monitoring is of fundamental importance. In the last years, GBInSAR has proven to be a reliable remote sensing tool which enhances the advantages of the spaceborne InSAR and provides displacement maps with high spatial and temporal resolutions and accuracy (Antonello et al, 2004; Atzeni et al, 2001a; Barbieri et al, 2004; Barla et al, 2010; Casagli et al, 2009; Luzi et al, 2006; Pieraccini et al, 2003; Rudolf et al, 1999; Tarchi et al, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000a). I.e. when a good correlation is preserved among the observed electromagnetic scenarios over the analyzed temporal baseline, millimeter accuracy on surface motion and deformation can be exploited
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