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Dissertation

Start: January 2010:

Topic

Pre-survey suitability analysis of the differential and persistent scatterer synthetic aperture radar interferometry method for deformation monitoring of mass movements and subsidence

Goal:

The goal of the dissertation is the development of a procedure that enables the suitability evaluation of the differential (D-InSAR) and persistent scatterer (PS-InSAR) synthetic aperture radar interferometry technique for deformation monitoring of mass movements and subsidence – prior to the radar recording of the area of interest.

D-InSAR is a powerful active remote sensing method to detect and measure deformations on the Earth’s surface, such as landslides and subsidence, with an accuracy of a few millimeters. However, as a consequence of the inclined imaging geometry (the illumination of the Earth's surface by the air- or satellite-borne radar sensor is done obliquely downward) areas with a topographic relief (where landslides usually occur) appear heavily distorted in the radar image. Thereby slopes inclined towards the radar appear shortened (foreshortening) and in extreme even can cause an overlapping of different radar signals (layover effect); slopes oriented away from the radar seem stretched (elongation) or even can be shadowed by a steep mountain (shadowing). These effects limit or even prohibit the use of a radar image for interferometric applications. To address this issue I am working on the development of a GIS-routine to accurately predict the areas in which layover and shadowing will occur, prior to recording the area of interest. Further aspects of this procedure are the calculation of the measurable percentage of movement of a potential landslide and the classification of the main types of land cover in regard to the applicability of the D-InSAR-technique.

The second part of this thesis is the estimation of persistent scatterers (PS). The goal of this scatterer estimation is to find out, whether the scatterer density of a certain test site is high enough for PS-InSAR processing, or whether the scatterer density has to be artificially increased by corner reflectors – prior to the radar recording of the area of interest. The PS  estimation is done in a geographical information system (GIS) by comparing the distribution of real PS targets of several test sites with freely available data of optical remote sensing sensors, land cover data and topographical maps. In addition to the work packages described above, selected test areas (landslides and subsidence areas) will be monitored using the D-InSAR and / or PS-InSAR technique.


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