Persistent Scatterer Technique Research Articles

Surface deformations analysis of underground gas storage using PSInSAR based on SENTINEL-1 data

The purpose of this research is to utilize the Persistent Scatterers InSAR method for studying cyclic movements of the Earth's surface caused by technological processes involved in exploiting the underground gas storage facility. The objective of this research is the area of the Bohorodchany underground gas storage facility, which was constructed at a depleted gas reservoir. The research input data were thirty-nine (39) SAR images acquired by the Sentinel-1 satellite in the Interferometric Wide mode from an ascending orbit. The time series covered the period from May 31, 2021, to December 23, 2023. The time interval between the images was 24 days. The SNAP2StaMPS v2.0 algorithm enabled the preliminary preparation of radar images. The introduction of additional functions has significantly improved the operation convenience and reliability. The Stanford Method of Persistent Scatterers (StaMPS) was used to process radar images applying by the Persistent Scatterers technique. This method is implemented in the MatLab program. In the course of the data processing, the influence of atmospheric effects was taken into consideration. TRAIN toolkit was used for this purpose. It calculates the linear tropospheric delay of a radar signal and makes the required corrections. The visualization of deformation velocity maps of the gas storage area was implemented via the StaMPS-Visualizer. It has been established that the PSInSAR method allows to analyzing a time series of deformations in the area of both industrial sites and technological wells. The practical significance of the research results consists in the formulation of recommendations for the effective application of the PSInSAR method as a component of geodetic monitoring at the Bohorodchany underground gas storage facility.

Detection and Mechanical Interpretation of Surface Displacement by Volcanic and Anthropogenic Interactions around Bandung Basin, through Multi Temporal Interferometric SAR (MT-InSAR) Technique

Abstract This study aims to evaluate capability of MT-InSAR (Multi Temporal interferometric synthetic aperture radar) technique for measuring the surface displacement caused by tectonic, volcanic, and anthropogenic activity around the Bandung Basin, West Java, Indonesia. For this, persistent scatterer (PS), small baseline subset (SBAS), and combined PS and SBAS techniques are adopted. The results reveal different displacement patterns within two areas anthropogenic-caused subsidence in the middle Bandung city and geothermal production field, and volcanic-caused uplift in the northern area around the Tangkuban Parahu volcano. In addition, each InSAR tehnique shows unique spatial deformation. A significant pattern is located around the Wayang Windu geothermal field that large displacements has been occurred around injection, production wells. Those detected displacements are crucial for mitigating geological hazards as well as geothermal production monitoring.

Ground Subsidence Analysis in Tianjin (China) Based on Sentinel-1A Data Using MT-InSAR Methods

Multi-temporal InSAR (MT-InSAR) methods have been widely used in remote sensing monitoring of ground subsidence, which occurs at many places around the world. Land subsidence, caused by excessive extraction of groundwater, has always been a problem to be solved in Tianjin, China. Although the subsidence in the urban area has been controlled at a low rate, the subsidence issue has not been effectively solved in the suburban area recently, which should be paid much attention. This paper aims to present two multi-temporal differential interferometry techniques, persistent scatterer (PS) and small baseline subset (SBAS), for monitoring the latest surface subsidence in a Tianjin study area on the basis of 20 Sentinel-1A images obtained from March 2017 to March 2019. Our research showed that the average velocity map obtained from the SBAS method closely followed the outcomes of the PS technique from the perspective of identifying similar subsidence patterns. Subsidence rate gradually increased from the urban area of Tianjin to the suburbs and high subsidence zones were mainly distributed at the junction of the Wuqing, Xiqing and Beichen districts. In the past two years, the annual average subsidence rate in the high settlement area mostly exceeded −50 mm/year, which caused serious damage to local infrastructures. Besides, high-resolution remote sensing images combined with field investigations further verified the successful application of MT-InSAR technology in Tianjin’s subsidence monitoring. Effective ground subsidence control measures need to be taken as soon as possible to prevent the situation from getting worse.

SAR Sentinel-1: mitigation strategies for earth’s surface displacements in Aceh, Indonesia

Gayo plateau, Aceh-Indonesia is an urbanized areas affected by tectonic phenomena due to the presence of the Great Sumatran Fault, which extends from the north in Aceh to the south in Lampung. This area was affected by strong seismic phenomena (Gayo plateau earthquake on 2 July 2013, MW 6.3) which induced landslide and deformation. InSAR (Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar) application using Sentinel-1 times series with Terrain Observation Progressive Scans (TOPS) mode has permitted a short acquisition repetition cycle, an extremely large coverage, a high spatial resolution with respect to the covered area and a small baseline separation particularly suited for interferometry application. All of those characteristics suggest an intensive exploitation of these data through the use of the interferometry technology and in particular the stacking interferometry for monitoring ground surface displacement. Persistent Scatterer (PS) and Quasi – PS (Q-PS) techniques were used in this research. The results of PS, Q-PS and combination of both techniques with ascending and descending of Sentinel-1A were presented in this paper. The SARPROZ software which PS and Q-PS technique seems to be the best candidate for this application relative to the morphology and large extension of the Lut Tawar Lake in the Gayo plateau. SAR images since 2017 were downloaded over the Lut Tawar Lake. This allows taking into measures for seismic hazard mitigation widely in Gayo plateau. Based on the result processing the Gayo Plateau is movement with 20 mm/year.

Monitoring mining-induced subsidence by integrating differential radar interferometry and persistent scatterer techniques

ABSTRACT Surface subsidence is a dominant component of the displacement vector triggered by underground mining. Over the last few decades, Differential Interferometry Synthetic Aperture Radar (DInSAR) has been used to efficiently monitor this phenomenon with great spatial and temporal coverage. More advanced multi-temporal DInSAR (MTInSAR) algorithms have been proposed to overcome some of the limitations of conventional DInSAR. However, advanced MTInSAR approaches are also not perfect in terms of measuring mining subsidence (e.g., temporal decorrelation, ambiguity, nonlinearity). For this reason, we propose a fusion of the Persistent Scatterer Interferometry (PSInSAR) and DInSAR results. By combining these complementary techniques, the atmospheric errors in PSInSAR data are reduced and larger deformation rates could have been detected more accurately (thanks to DInSAR) than by an approach solely based on PS-InSAR. This allows to measure areas with fast-moving subsidence (1 m/year) due to ongoing underground coal exploitation. Data from ascending and descending orbits of Sentinel-1A\\B were used to obtain the vertical deformation component. The resulting integrated vertical deformation map was compared with the results from levelling benchmarks. The Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) calculated based on this comparison was 22 mm. Moreover, the maximal vertical cumulative subsidence detected in the study area was 1.05 m/year.

Satellite Radar Interferometry: New Technologies for Satellite Monitoring of Mining Areas and Displacements of Natural and Man-Made Objects

The paper presents the results of application of satellite radar interferometry for solving a wide range of problems associated with deformations of the Earth’s surface. Displacements of the Earth’s surface at the Romashkinskoe oil deposit are estimated using the technique for reconstructing three components of the displacement vector developed at the Institute of Physics of the Earth, Russian Academy of Sciences; landslide activity above a section of the North Caucasus Railway tunnel near the village Mamaika (Bolshoi Sochi) is investigated, application of persistent scatterer techniques for estimating displacement fields in the territory of Moscow is tested, and coseismic and postseismic displacements in the area of the Altai Earthquake of September 27, 2003, are analyzed. The latest technologies make it possible to ensure that the obtained results correspond to the latest world standards and are competitive with the results obtained by foreign commercial companies for the territory of the Russian Federation and CIS countries.

Subsidence related to groundwater pumping for breweries in Merchtem area (Belgium), highlighted by Persistent Scaterrer Interferometry

ERS, ENVISAT and TerraSAR-X Synthetic Aperture Radar scenes covering the time span 1992–2014 were processed using a Persistent Scatterer technique to study the ground movements in Merchtem (25km NW of Brussels, Belgium). The processed datasets, covering three consecutive time intervals, reveal that the investigated area is affected by a global subsidence trend related to the extraction of groundwater in the deeper Cambro-Silurian aquifer. Through time the subsidence pattern is reduced and replaced by an uplift related to the rising water table attested by piezometers located in this aquifer. The subsidence is finally reduced to a zone where currently three breweries are very active and pump groundwater in the Ledo-Paniselian aquifer and in the Cambro-Silurian for process water for the production.

AIRBORNE LIGHT DETECTION AND RANGING (LIDAR) DERIVED DEFORMATION FROM THE MW 6.0 24 AUGUST, 2014 SOUTH NAPA EARTHQUAKE ESTIMATED BY TWO AND THREE DIMENSIONAL POINT CLOUD CHANGE DETECTION TECHNIQUES

Abstract. Remote sensing via LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) has proven extremely useful in both Earth science and hazard related studies. Surveys taken before and after an earthquake for example, can provide decimeter-level, 3D near-field estimates of land deformation that offer better spatial coverage of the near field rupture zone than other geodetic methods (e.g., InSAR, GNSS, or alignment array). In this study, we compare and contrast estimates of deformation obtained from different pre and post-event airborne laser scanning (ALS) data sets of the 2014 South Napa Earthquake using two change detection algorithms, Iterative Control Point (ICP) and Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV). The ICP algorithm is a closest point based registration algorithm that can iteratively acquire three dimensional deformations from airborne LiDAR data sets. By employing a newly proposed partition scheme, “moving window,” to handle the large spatial scale point cloud over the earthquake rupture area, the ICP process applies a rigid registration of data sets within an overlapped window to enhance the change detection results of the local, spatially varying surface deformation near-fault. The other algorithm, PIV, is a well-established, two dimensional image co-registration and correlation technique developed in fluid mechanics research and later applied to geotechnical studies. Adapted here for an earthquake with little vertical movement, the 3D point cloud is interpolated into a 2D DTM image and horizontal deformation is determined by assessing the cross-correlation of interrogation areas within the images to find the most likely deformation between two areas. Both the PIV process and the ICP algorithm are further benefited by a presented, novel use of urban geodetic markers. Analogous to the persistent scatterer technique employed with differential radar observations, this new LiDAR application exploits a classified point cloud dataset to assist the change detection algorithms. Ground deformation results and statistics from these techniques are presented and discussed here with supplementary analyses of the differences between techniques and the effects of temporal spacing between LiDAR datasets. Results show that both change detection methods provide consistent near field deformation comparable to field observed offsets. The deformation can vary in quality but estimated standard deviations are always below thirty one centimeters. This variation in quality differentiates the methods and proves that factors such as geodetic markers and temporal spacing play major roles in the outcomes of ALS change detection surveys.

AIRBORNE LIGHT DETECTION AND RANGING (LIDAR) DERIVED DEFORMATION FROM THE MW 6.0 24 AUGUST, 2014 SOUTH NAPA EARTHQUAKE ESTIMATED BY TWO AND THREE DIMENSIONAL POINT CLOUD CHANGE DETECTION TECHNIQUES

Remote sensing via LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) has proven extremely useful in both Earth science and hazard related studies. Surveys taken before and after an earthquake for example, can provide decimeter-level, 3D near-field estimates of land deformation that offer better spatial coverage of the near field rupture zone than other geodetic methods (e.g., InSAR, GNSS, or alignment array). In this study, we compare and contrast estimates of deformation obtained from different pre and post-event airborne laser scanning (ALS) data sets of the 2014 South Napa Earthquake using two change detection algorithms, Iterative Control Point (ICP) and Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV). The ICP algorithm is a closest point based registration algorithm that can iteratively acquire three dimensional deformations from airborne LiDAR data sets. By employing a newly proposed partition scheme, “moving window,” to handle the large spatial scale point cloud over the earthquake rupture area, the ICP process applies a rigid registration of data sets within an overlapped window to enhance the change detection results of the local, spatially varying surface deformation near-fault. The other algorithm, PIV, is a well-established, two dimensional image co-registration and correlation technique developed in fluid mechanics research and later applied to geotechnical studies. Adapted here for an earthquake with little vertical movement, the 3D point cloud is interpolated into a 2D DTM image and horizontal deformation is determined by assessing the cross-correlation of interrogation areas within the images to find the most likely deformation between two areas. Both the PIV process and the ICP algorithm are further benefited by a presented, novel use of urban geodetic markers. Analogous to the persistent scatterer technique employed with differential radar observations, this new LiDAR application exploits a classified point cloud dataset to assist the change detection algorithms. Ground deformation results and statistics from these techniques are presented and discussed here with supplementary analyses of the differences between techniques and the effects of temporal spacing between LiDAR datasets. Results show that both change detection methods provide consistent near field deformation comparable to field observed offsets. The deformation can vary in quality but estimated standard deviations are always below thirty one centimeters. This variation in quality differentiates the methods and proves that factors such as geodetic markers and temporal spacing play major roles in the outcomes of ALS change detection surveys.

Advanced InSAR techniques for deformation studies and for simulating the PS-assisted calibration procedure of Sentinel-1 data: case study from Thessaloniki (Greece), based on the Envisat/ASAR archive

ABSTRACTUsing state-of-the-art InSAR techniques, namely persistent scatterers (PSs) and small baseline subset (SBAS) approaches, this study contributes to open geotechnical questions in the area of Thessaloniki (Greece) from a remote-sensing perspective. It also demonstrates the potential of these techniques for calibration purposes, with reference to the new C-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensor on board the Sentinel-1 mission satellites. By exploiting the historical archive of Envisat/ASAR data, as well as a pair of the first Sentinel-1A SAR images, recent (2004–2010) deformation rates up to 18 mm year–1 are detected over the study area. These results are then compared to the findings of previous InSAR and geophysical observations, indicating for example, subsidence or tectonic activity. On the other hand, the usefulness of the PS technique is shown over the same region for external SAR calibration purposes. This process simulates the PS-assisted calibration procedure to be applied systematically to Sentinel-1 SAR products.

Renewed inflation of Long Valley Caldera, California (2011 to 2014)

AbstractSlow inflation began at Long Valley Caldera in late 2011, coinciding with renewed swarm seismicity. Ongoing deformation is concentrated within the caldera. We analyze this deformation using a combination of GPS and InSAR (TerraSAR‐X) data processed with a persistent scatterer technique. The extension rate of the dome‐crossing baseline during this episode (CA99 to KRAC) is 1 cm/yr, similar to past inflation episodes (1990–1995 and 2002–2003), and about a tenth of the peak rate observed during the 1997 unrest. The current deformation is well modeled by the inflation of a prolate spheroidal magma reservoir ∼7 km beneath the resurgent dome, with a volume change of ∼6 × 106 m3/yr from 2011.7 through the end of 2014. The current data cannot resolve a second source, which was required to model the 1997 episode. This source appears to be in the same region as previous inflation episodes, suggesting a persistent reservoir.

Spatiotemporal evolution of seismic and aseismic slip on the Longitudinal Valley Fault, Taiwan

AbstractThe Longitudinal Valley Fault (LVF) in eastern Taiwan is a high slip rate fault (about 5 cm/yr), which exhibits both seismic and aseismic slip. Deformation of anthropogenic features shows that aseismic creep accounts for a significant fraction of fault slip near the surface, whereas a fraction of the slip is also seismic, since this fault has produced large earthquakes with five Mw>6.8 events in 1951 and 2003. In this study, we analyze a dense set of geodetic and seismological data around the LVF, including campaign mode Global Positioning System(GPS) measurements, time series of daily solutions for continuous GPS stations (cGPS), leveling data, and accelerometric records of the 2003 Chenkung earthquake. To enhance the spatial resolution provided by these data, we complement them with interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) measurements produced from a series of Advanced Land Observing Satellite images processed using a persistent scatterer technique. The combined data set covers the entire LVF and spans the period from 1992 to 2010. We invert this data to infer the temporal evolution of fault slip at depth using the Principal Component Analysis‐based Inversion Method. This technique allows the joint inversion of diverse data, taking the advantage of the spatial resolution given by the InSAR measurements and the temporal resolution afforded by the cGPS data. We find that (1) seismic slip during the 2003 Chengkung earthquake occurred on a fault patch which had remained partially locked in the interseismic period, (2) the seismic rupture propagated partially into a zone of shallow aseismic interseismic creep but failed to reach the surface, and (3) that aseismic afterslip occurred around the area that ruptured seismically. We find consistency between geodetic and seismological constraints on the partitioning between seismic and aseismic creep. About 80–90% of slip on the southern section of LVF in the 0–26 km, seismogenic depth range, is actually aseismic. We infer that the clay‐rich Lichi Mélange is the key factor promoting aseismic creep at shallow depth.

A New Method for Temporal Phase Unwrapping of Persistent Scatterers InSAR Time Series

The analysis of radar time series with persistent scatterer techniques usually relies on temporal unwrapping, because phase behavior can be often described by simple models. However, one of the major limitations of temporal algorithms is that they do not take advantage of spatially correlated information. Here, we focus on two types of information that can be spatially estimated, namely, observation precision and the probability density function of the model parameters. We introduce them in phase unwrapping using Bayesian theory. We test the proposed method using simulated data. We also apply them to a small area in the southern Netherlands and compare with conventional temporal unwrapping methods.

Comparison of Persistent Scatterers and Small Baseline Time-Series InSAR Results: A Case Study of the San Francisco Bay Area

Time-series interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) methods estimate the spatiotemporal evolution of deformation over large areas by incorporating information from multiple SAR interferograms. Persistent scatterer (PS) and small baseline (SB) methods, which identify areas where the surface is least affected by geometric and temporal decorrelation, represent two families of time-series InSAR techniques to study successfully a wide spectrum of ground deformation phenomena worldwide. However, little is known comparatively about the performance of PS and SB techniques applied to the same region. Here, we compare quantitatively and cross validate the time-series InSAR results generated using two representative algorithms-the maximum likelihood PS method and the small baseline subset algorithm-in selected test sites, over the San Francisco Bay Area imaged by European Remote Sensing (ERS) sensors during 1995-2000. We present line of sight (LOS) velocities and deformation time series using both techniques and show that the root mean squared differences of the estimated mean velocities and deformation from each method are about 1 mm/year and 5 mm, respectively. These values are within expected noise levels and a characteristic of the pixel selection parameters for both the time-series techniques. We validate our deformation estimates against creep measurements from alignment arrays along the Hayward Fault and show that our estimates agree to within 0.5 mm/year LOS velocity and 1.5 mm LOS displacement.