High resolution satellite SAR multi-temporal interferometry for regional scale detection of landslide and subsidence hazards

Among a number of advanced satellite-based remote sensing techniques, synthetic aperture radar (SAR) multi-temporal interferometry (MTI) appears the most promising for fostering new opportunities in landslide and subsidence hazards detection and assessment. MTI is attractive to those concerned with terrain instability hazards because it can provide very precise quantitative information on slow displacements of the ground surface over huge areas with limited vegetation cover. Although MTI is a mature technique, we are only beginning to realize the benefits of the high-resolution imagery that is currently acquired by the new generation radar satellites (e.g., COSMO-SkyMed, TerraSAR-X). In this work we demonstrate the great potential of high resolution MTI for regular, wide-area detection of ground instability hazards by presenting results from two regions characterized by different geomorphic, climatic and vegetation conditions: densely populated metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince (Haiti), with the coastal areas and local slopes destabilized by the 2010 Mw 7.0 earthquake, and the remote high mountain region of Southern Gansu Province (China) prone to large slope failures. The interpretation and widespread exploitation of high spatio-temporal resolution MTI results can be facilitated by visualizing the scientific data using Google Earth TM tools or other web-based applications.