Synthetic aperture radar interferometry (InSAR) is a technique that enables generation of Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) and detection of surface motion at the centimetre level using radar signals transmitted from a satellite or an aeroplane. Deformation observations can be performed due to the fact that surface motion, caused by natural and human activities, generates a local phase shift in the resultant interferogram. The magnitude of surface deformation can be estimated directly as a fraction of the wavelength of the transmitted signal. Moreover, differential InSAR (DInSAR) eliminates the phase signal caused by relief to yield a differential interferogram in which the signature of surface deformation can be seen. Although InSAR applications are well established, the improvement of the interferometry technique and the quality of its products is highly desirable to further enhance its capabilities. The application of InSAR encounters problems due to noise in the interferometric phase measurement, caused by a number of decorrelation factors. In addition, the interferogram contains biases owing to satellite orbit errors and atmospheric heterogeneity These factors dramatically reduce the stlectiveness of radar interferometry in many applications, and, in particular, compromise detection and analysis of small-scale spatial deformations. The research presented in this thesis aim to apply radar interferometry processing to detect small-scale surface deformations, improve the quality of the interferometry products, determine the minimum and maximum detectable deformation gradient and enhance the analysis of the interferometric phase image. The quality of DEM and displacement maps can be improved by various methods at different processing levels. One of the methods is filtering of the interferometric phase. / However, while filtering reduces noise in the interferogram, it does not necessarily enhance or recover the signal. Furthermore, the impact of the filter can significantly change the structure of the interferogram. A new adaptive radar interferogram filter has been developed and is presented herein. The filter is based on a modification to the Goldstein radar interferogram filter making the filter parameter dependent on coherence so that incoherent areas are filtered more than coherent areas. This modification minimises the loss of signal while still reducing the level of noise. A methodology leading to the creation of a functional model for determining minimum and maximum detectable deformation gradient, in terms of the coherence value, has been developed. The sets of representative deformation models have been simulated and the associated phase from these models has been introduced to real SAR data acquired by ERS-1/2 satellites. A number of cases of surface motion with varying magnitudes and spatial extent have been simulated. In each case, the resultant surface deformation has been compared with the 'true' surface deformation as defined by the deformation model. Based on those observations, the functional model has been developed. Finally, the extended analysis of the interferometric phase image using a wavelet approach is presented. The ability of a continuous wavelet transform to reveal the content of the wrapped phase interferogram, such as (i) discontinuities, (ii) extent of the deformation signal, and (iii) the magnitude of the deformation signal is examined. The results presented represent a preliminary study revealing the wavelet method as a promising technique for interferometric phase image analysis.

Australia is one of the leading mineral resource extraction nations in the world. It is one of the world’s top producers of nickel, zinc, uranium, lithium, coal, gold, iron ore and silver. However, the complexity of the environmental issues and the potentially damaging consequences of mining have attracted public attention and political controversy. Other types of underground natural resource exploitation, such as ground water, gas or oil extractions, also cause severe land deformation on different scales in space and time. The subsidence due to underground mining and underground fluid extractions has the potential to impact on surface and near surface infrastructure; as well as water quality and quantity, that in turn has the potential to impact on threatened flora and fauna, and biodiversity conservation. Subsidence can also impact natural and cultural heritage. To date, most of land deformation monitoring is done using conventional surveying techniques, such as total stations, levelling, GPS, etc. These surveying techniques provide high precision in height at millimetre accuracy, but with the drawbacks of inefficiency and costliness (labour intensive and time consuming) when surveying over a large area. Radar interferometry is an imaging technique for measuring geodetic information of terrain. It exploits phase information of the backscattered radar signals from the ground surface to retrieve the altitude or displacements of the objects. It has been successfully applied in the areas of cartography, geodesy, land cover characterisation, mitigation of natural or man-made hazards, etc. The goal of this dissertation was to develop a system which integrated differential interferometric synthetic aperture radar (DInSAR), ground survey data and geographic information systems (GIS) as a whole to provide the land deformation maps for underground mining and water extraction activities. This system aimed to reinforce subsidence assessment processes and avoid or mitigate potential risks to lives, infrastructure and the natural environment. The selection of suitable interferometric pairs is limited to the spatial and temporal separations of the acquired SAR images as well as the characteristics of the site, e.g. slope of terrain, land cover, climate, etc. Interferometric pairs with good coherence were selected for further DInSAR analysis. The coherence analysis of both C- and L-band spaceborne SAR data was studied for sites in the State of New South Wales, Australia. The impact of the quality of the digital elevation models (DEM), used to remove the static topography in 2-pass DInSAR, were also analysed. This dissertation examined the quality of the DEM generated using aerial photogrammetry, InSAR, and airborne laser scanning (ALS) against field survey data. Kinematic and real-time kinematic GPS were introduced here as an efficient surveying method for collecting ground truth data for DEM validation. For mine subsidence monitoring, continuous DInSAR mine subsidence maps were generated using ERS-1/2, Radarsat-1 and JERS-1 data with the assumption of negligible horizontal displacement. One of the significant findings of this study was the results from the ERS-1/2 tandem DInSAR, which showed an immediate mine subsidence of 1cm occurred during a period of 24 hours. It also raised the importance of SAR constellations for disaster mitigation. In order to understand the 3-D displacement vectors of mine deformation, this dissertation also proposed a method using the SAR data acquired at 3 independent incidence angles from both ascending and descending orbits. Another issue of the high phase gradient, induced by the mine subsidence, was also addressed. Phase gradient was clearly overcome by having the L-band ALOS data with an imaging resolution of 10m, which is better than the imaging resolution of 18m of the previous generation of the Japanese L-band SAR satellite, JERS-1. The ground survey data over a similar duration was used for validation. Besides mine subsidence monitoring the land deformation caused by groundwater pumping were also presented. In contrast to mine subsidence, the underground water extraction induced subsidence has the characteristics of a slow rate of change and less predictable location and coverage. Two case studies were presented. One was at the geothermal fields in New Zealand and another was the urban subsidence due to underground water over exploitation in China. Both studies were validated against ground survey data. Finally, SAR intensity analysis for detecting land deformation was demonstrated when DInSAR was not applicable due to strong decorrelation. The region of land surface change, which may be caused by human activities or natural disasters, can be classified. Two cases studies were given. The first study was the surface change detection at an open-cut mine. The second one was the 2004 Asian tsunami damage assessment near Banda Aceh. The results presented in this dissertation showed that the integrated system of DInSAR, GIS and ground surveys has the potential to monitor mine subsidence over a large area. The accuracy of the derived subsidence maps can be further improved by having a shorter revisit cycle and better imaging resolution of the newly launched and planned SAR satellites and constellation missions. The subsidence caused by groundwater pumping can be monitored at an accuracy of millimetre by utilising the technique of persistent scatterer InSAR.

Australia is one of the leading mineral resource extraction nations in the world. It is one of the world’s top producers of nickel, zinc, uranium, lithium, coal, gold, iron ore and silver. However, the complexity of the environmental issues and the potentially damaging consequences of mining have attracted public attention and political controversy. Other types of underground natural resource exploitation, such as ground water, gas or oil extractions, also cause severe land deformation on different scales in space and time. The subsidence due to underground mining and underground fluid extractions has the potential to impact on surface and near surface infrastructure; as well as water quality and quantity, that in turn has the potential to impact on threatened flora and fauna, and biodiversity conservation. Subsidence can also impact natural and cultural heritage. To date, most of land deformation monitoring is done using conventional surveying techniques, such as total stations, levelling, GPS, etc. These surveying techniques provide high precision in height at millimetre accuracy, but with the drawbacks of inefficiency and costliness (labour intensive and time consuming) when surveying over a large area. Radar interferometry is an imaging technique for measuring geodetic information of terrain. It exploits phase information of the backscattered radar signals from the ground surface to retrieve the altitude or displacements of the objects. It has been successfully applied in the areas of cartography, geodesy, land cover characterisation, mitigation of natural or man-made hazards, etc. The goal of this dissertation was to develop a system which integrated differential interferometric synthetic aperture radar (DInSAR), ground survey data and geographic information systems (GIS) as a whole to provide the land deformation maps for underground mining and water extraction activities. This system aimed to reinforce subsidence assessment processes and avoid or mitigate potential risks to lives, infrastructure and the natural environment. The selection of suitable interferometric pairs is limited to the spatial and temporal separations of the acquired SAR images as well as the characteristics of the site, e.g. slope of terrain, land cover, climate, etc. Interferometric pairs with good coherence were selected for further DInSAR analysis. The coherence analysis of both C- and L-band spaceborne SAR data was studied for sites in the State of New South Wales, Australia. The impact of the quality of the digital elevation models (DEM), used to remove the static topography in 2-pass DInSAR, were also analysed. This dissertation examined the quality of the DEM generated using aerial photogrammetry, InSAR, and airborne laser scanning (ALS) against field survey data. Kinematic and real-time kinematic GPS were introduced here as an efficient surveying method for collecting ground truth data for DEM validation. For mine subsidence monitoring, continuous DInSAR mine subsidence maps were generated using ERS-1/2, Radarsat-1 and JERS-1 data with the assumption of negligible horizontal displacement. One of the significant findings of this study was the results from the ERS-1/2 tandem DInSAR, which showed an immediate mine subsidence of 1cm occurred during a period of 24 hours. It also raised the importance of SAR constellations for disaster mitigation. In order to understand the 3-D displacement vectors of mine deformation, this dissertation also proposed a method using the SAR data acquired at 3 independent incidence angles from both ascending and descending orbits. Another issue of the high phase gradient, induced by the mine subsidence, was also addressed. Phase gradient was clearly overcome by having the L-band ALOS data with an imaging resolution of 10m, which is better than the imaging resolution of 18m of the previous generation of the Japanese L-band SAR satellite, JERS-1. The ground survey data over a similar duration was used for validation. Besides mine subsidence monitoring the land deformation caused by groundwater pumping were also presented. In contrast to mine subsidence, the underground water extraction induced subsidence has the characteristics of a slow rate of change and less predictable location and coverage. Two case studies were presented. One was at the geothermal fields in New Zealand and another was the urban subsidence due to underground water over exploitation in China. Both studies were validated against ground survey data. Finally, SAR intensity analysis for detecting land deformation was demonstrated when DInSAR was not applicable due to strong decorrelation. The region of land surface change, which may be caused by human activities or natural disasters, can be classified. Two cases studies were given. The first study was the surface change detection at an open-cut mine. The second one was the 2004 Asian tsunami damage assessment near Banda Aceh. The results presented in this dissertation showed that the integrated system of DInSAR, GIS and ground surveys has the potential to monitor mine subsidence over a large area. The accuracy of the derived subsidence maps can be further improved by having a shorter revisit cycle and better imaging resolution of the newly launched and planned SAR satellites and constellation missions. The subsidence caused by groundwater pumping can be monitored at an accuracy of millimetre by utilising the technique of persistent scatterer InSAR.

Thesis (M.Eng.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland, 2004. / Bibliography: leaves 134-138.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2006. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 132-144).

Land subsidence and coastal erosion are worldwide problems, particularly in densely populated deltas. The Nile Delta is no exception. Currently, it is undergoing land subsidence and is simultaneously experiencing retreat of its coastline. The impacts of these long-term interrelated geomorphic problems are heightened by the economic, social and historical importance of the delta to Egypt. Unfortunately, the current measures of the rates of subsidence and coastal erosion in the delta are rough estimates at best. Sustainable development of the delta requires accurate and detailed spatial and temporal measures of subsidence and coastal retreat rates. Radar interferometry is a unique remote sensing approach that can be used to map topography with 1 m vertical accuracy and measure surface deformation with 1 mm level accuracy. Radar interferometry has been employed in this dissertation to measure urban subsidence and coastal change in the Nile Delta. Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data of 5.66 cm wavelength acquired by the European Radar Satellites (ERS-1 and ERS- 2) spanning eight years (1993-2000) have been used in this investigation. The ERS data have been selected because the spatial and temporal coverage, as well as the short wavelength, are appropriate to measure the slow rate of subsidence in the delta. The ERS tandem coherence images are also appropriate for coastal change detection. The magnitude and pattern of subsidence are detected and measured using Permanent Scatterer interferometry. The measured rates of subsidence in greater Cairo, Mansura, and Mahala are 7, 9, and 5 mm yr-1, respectively. Areas of erosion and accretion in the eastern side of the delta are detected using the ERS tandem coherence and the ERS amplitude images. The average measured rates of erosion and accretion are -9.57 and +5.44 m yr-1, respectively. These measured rates pose an urgent need of regular monitoring of subsidence and coastline retreat in the delta. This study highlighted the feasibility of applying Permanent Scatterer interferometry in inappropriate environment for conventional SAR interferometry. The study addressed possibilities and limitations for successful use of SAR interferometry within the densely vegetated delta and introduced alternative strategies for further improvement of SAR interferometric measurements in the delta.

La caractérisation des distributions spatio-temporelles des déformations transitoires le long de failles actives constitue actuellement l’un des axes privilégiés de recherches visant la compréhension des processus contrôlant le cycle sismique. Dans ce contexte, nous nous intéressons à deux sites d’études aux caractéristiques comportementales distinctes: la lacune sismique de Guerrero, siège de 4 séismes lents depuis 1997 (zone de subduction, d’une longueur de 100 km à l’ouest d’Acapulco au Mexique, dernière rupture en 1911, temps de récurrence ~4 ans) et le segment de Parkfield (segment de 20-30 km le long de la faille de San Andreas, Californie, 7 ruptures successives -Mw6- depuis 1857, temps de récurrence de ~22 ans). Dans le cas du Mexique, nous portons notre attention sur le séisme lent de 2009-2010 survenu au niveau de la lacune sismique et, dans le cas du segment de Parkfield, nous décrivons la déformation post-sismique suite au séisme du 28 septembre 2004, dernière rupture en date de ce segment, sur la période 2005-2010. Nous utilisons l’interférométrie radar différentiel satellitaire (DINSAR), complété de données GPS, pour estimer les faibles déformations (centimétriques) générées en surface par ces types de déformations. À l’issue de ce travail, dans le cas de la lacune sismique de Guerrero, nos mesures semblent montrer que le séisme lent de 2009-2010 affecte la partie sismogène de la lacune tout en affectant une portion de la subduction qui dépasse les limites géographiques de celle-ci. Dans le cas de Parkfield, nous parvenons à mettre en avant une prolongation temporelle jusqu’en 2010 du glissement post-sismique en plus d’une extension spatiale de ce glissement qui dépasse les limites de la rupture de 2004. Ces nouveaux éléments permettent de discuter plus en avant l’impact de ces déformations transitoires sur le comportement de ces systèmes de failles situés tout deux, sur des sites d’intérêts scientifiques majeurs. / Characterizing the spacio-temporal evolution of transient deformations along active faults is, by now, one of the most promising ways to better understand the mechanisms that drive the seismic cycle. In this context, we focused our attention on two areas that exhibit different characteristic behaviour types: the Guerrero seismic gap, a location of 4 consecutive slow slip events since 1997 (subduction zone, 100 km long westward from Acapulco, Mexico, last ruptured in 1911, repeating time ~4 years) and the Parkfield segment (20-30 km long segment, San Andreas fault, California, 7 successive breaks -Mw6- since 1857, repeating time ~22 years). In the case of Mexico, we particularly focused our attention on the 2009-2010 slow slip event that occurred at the gap location. In the case of Parkfield, we described the post-seismic deformation related to the 28th September 2004 Mw6 event (last recorded break) from 2005 to 2010. We used space-based differential radar interferometry (DINSAR) in addition to GPS data, to assess surface displacements at centimeter scale that are in relation with those two phenomena. As an outcome of the work, in the Guerrero seismic gap case, our measurements indicate that the 2009-2010 slow slip event has affected the seismogenic part of the gap and extents outside the spatial limits of it. In the case of Parkfield, our measurements indicate that the Parkfield segment has a post-seismic behaviour that lasts until 2010 at least and spatially extends outside the edge the 2004 coseismic trace along the fault line. These elements allow us to discuss the implication of such transient deformations in the two particular cases of the Guerrero seismic gap and the Parkfield segment, both of first scientific interest.

Space-borne radar interferometry provides a global vantage point to understand climate change, global weather phenomenon, and other Earth dynamics. For climate change observations, space-borne interferometers can be utilized to relate ocean topography to temperature, thus providing a global map of ocean temperatures. Since the oceans are in constant motion, a single-pass interferometer is needed to successfully make these measurements of ocean height. The feasibility of a single-pass measurement is dependent on the physical size of the instrument, hence it is cheaper and more practical to launch a small, light weight instrument into space. Since instrument size scales inversely with operating frequency, high frequency microwave technology (Ku-band and Ka-band) is preferred for these types of applications. However, space-borne deployments become more difficult to implement at these frequencies since the physical structure of the instrument changes in the harsh environment of space. For that reason, a ground-based Ku-band (13.245GHz) radar interferometer has been developed at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst Microwave Remote Sensing Laboratory (MIRSL). In this thesis, a description of the radar hardware as well as interferometric results from Mount Sugarloaf provide a measure of the performance of the radar and demonstrate the capabilities of using a ground-based interferometer as a test-bed for space-borne applications.

No description available.

Le but de cette thèse est centré sur la détection et la surveillance de la déformation de surface dans le nord-ouest de la Turquie, induite par une variété de phénomènes naturels (telles que l'activité tectonique, les glissements de terrain lents, etc.) et anthropiques (extraction des eaux souterraines, activités de construction, etc.), et sur l’analyse des mécanismes de déformation associés et de leurs conséquences pour l’environnement. Ce travail est basé sur le calcul de séries temporelles de déplacement du sol par interférométrie radar à synthèse d’ouverture (InSAR) afin d'analyser l'évolution des déplacements du sol, pour trois cas d’études associés à différents phénomènes géophysiques et processus sous-jacents. L’objectif de cette thèse est double : (1) révéler et quantifier les caractéristiques spatio-temporelles du glissement asismique le long de la rupture du séisme d’Izmit du 17 août 1999, et discuter de leur relation potentielle avec les propriétés de la faille (lithologie, géologie); (2) étudier la subsidence du sol dans des zones urbaines ou des zones exploitées par l'homme, induite par divers facteurs, et discuter des rôles relatifs de la tectonique, de la lithologie et des activités anthropiques dans ce mouvement du sol.Dans la première étude de cas, j’ai combiné des mesures InSAR, à partir d’images radar TerraSAR-X (bande X) et Sentinel-1 AB (bande C) acquises sur la période 2011-2017, à des mesures GPS en champ proche, effectuées tous les six mois à partir de 2014 jusqu'en 2016, ainsi qu’à des mesures de creepmeter, pour analyser le champ de vitesse en surface autour de la NAF, après le tremblement de terre d'Izmit de 1999. Les champs de vitesse moyenne horizontale InSAR révèlent que le taux de fluage (« creep ») sur le segment central de la rupture d'Izmit continue de décroître, plus de 19 ans après le séisme, ce qui concorde globalement avec les modèles de décroissance logarithmique des glissements post-sismiques de type « afterslip ». Le long de la section de la faille rompue à une vitesse « supershear » lors du séisme d'Izmit, le fluage se poursuit à une vitesse pouvant atteindre 8 mm / an. Un événement transitoire significatif, avec un fluage en accélération, est également détecté en décembre 2016 sur la série temporelle Sentinel-1, en accord avec les mesures d’un creepmeter installé près de la zone où la vitesse de fluage est maximum. Il est associé à un déplacement de surface total de 10 mm accumulé en un mois seulement.La deuxième cas d’étude porte sur l'identification et la mesure de la déformation du sol long-terme à Istanbul à partir d'une série InSAR couvrant près de 25 ans d'observations radar par satellite (1992-2017). Cette série temporelle InSAR a été calculée à partir d'images radar de plusieurs satellites (ERS-1, ERS-2, Envisat, Sentinel-1 A, B) afin d'étudier l'étendue spatiale et le taux de subsidence du sol dans la mégapole d'Istanbul.Dans le troisième cas d’étude, une série InSAR est calculée pour quantifier la subsidence de la plaine de Bursa (sud de la région de Marmara en Turquie), auparavant interprétée comme d’origine tectonique. Dans cette étude, StaMPS est utilisé pour traiter des séries d'images radar Sentinel 1 A-B acquises entre 2014 et 2017 le long d’orbites ascendantes et descendantse. Le champ de vitesse verticale obtenu après décomposition des champs de vitesse en ligne de visée sur deux traces complémentaires révèle que la plaine de Bursa s'affaisse à des vitesses allant jusqu'à 25 mm / an. A l’est, le signal de subsidence le plus important dans le bassin forme une ellipse allongée est-ouest et est limité par une plaine alluviale Quaternaire subsidant à environ 10 mm / an. Ces observations indiquent que l'accélération récente de la subsidence est principalement due aux activités anthropiques plutôt qu'aux mouvements tectoniques régionaux. / The aim of this thesis is centered on the detection and monitoring of surface deformation in northwest Turkey induced by a variety of natural (such as tectonic activity, slow moving-landslides, etc.) and anthropogenic (ground water extraction, construction activities, etc.) hazards and on the analysis of the related deformation mechanisms and their environmental consequences. In this work, I computed Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) time series to examine ground deformation evolution for three different case studies associated to different geophysical phenomena and underlying processes. The focus of this thesis is two-fold : (1) to reveal and monitor the spatio-temporal characteristics of aseismic slip along the August 17, 1999 Mw 7.4 Izmit earthquake rupture, and discuss its potential relationship with lithology and geology (2) to investigate ground subsidence in urban or human-exploited areas induced by various factors, and discuss the relative roles of tectonics, lithology and anthropogenic activities in such ground motion.In the first case-study, I combined InSAR measurements, based on X-band TerraSAR-X and C-band Sentinel-1 A-B radar images acquired over the period 2011-2017, with near field GPS measurements, performed every 6 months from 2014 to 2016, as well as creep meter measurements to examine the surface velocity field around the NAF after the 1999 Izmit earthquake. In this study, the Stanford Method for Persistent Scatterers InSAR package (StaMPS) was employed to process series of Sentinel 1 A-B (acquired along ascending and descending orbits) and TerraSAR-X (ascending orbits) radar images. The InSAR horizontal mean velocity fields reveal that the creep rate on the central segment of the 1999 Izmit fault rupture continues to decay, more than 19 years after the earthquake, in overall agreement with models of postseismic afterslip rate decaying logarithmically with time. Along the fault section that experienced a supershear velocity rupture during the Izmit earthquake, creep continues with a rate up to ~ 8 mm/yr. A significant transient event with accelerating creep is detected in December 2016 on the Sentinel-1 time series, consistent with creepmeter measurements, near the maximum creep rate location. It is associated with a total surface slip of 10 mm released in one month only. The second case study deals with the identification and measurement of secular ground deformation in Istanbul from a long-term InSAR time-series spanning almost 25 years of satellite radar observations (1992-2017). This InSAR time series was computed from radar images of multiple satellites (ERS-1, ERS-2, Envisat, Sentinel-1 A, B) in order to investigate the spatial extent and rate of ground subsidence in the megacity of Istanbul.In the third case study, InSAR time-series analysis is calculated for quantifying the subsidence of the Bursa Plain (southern Marmara region of Turkey), which has been interpreted as resulting from tectonic motions in the region. In this study, the StaMPS is employed to process series of Sentinel 1 A-B radar images acquired between 2014 and 2017 along both ascending and descending orbits. The vertical velocity field obtained after decomposition of line-of-sight velocity fields on the two tracks reveals that the Bursa plain is subsiding at rates up to 25 mm/yr. The most prominent subsidence signal in the basin forms an east-west elongated ellipse of deformation in the east, and is bounded by a Quaternary alluvial plain undergoing average vertical subsidence at ~10 mm/yr. The InSAR time series within the observation period is well correlated with changes in the depth of the ground water. These observations indicate that the recent acceleration of subsidence is mainly due to anthropogenic activities rather than tectonic motion.