Summaries of the Sixth Annual JPL Airborne Earth Science Workshop

The Sixth Annual JPL Airborne Earth Science Workshop, held in Pasadena, California, on March 4-8, 1996, was divided into two smaller workshops:(1) The Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) workshop, and The Airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (AIRSAR) workshop. This current paper, Volume 2 of the Summaries of the Sixth Annual JPL Airborne Earth Science Workshop, presents the summaries for The Airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (AIRSAR) workshop

Detecting Small-Scale Topographic Changes and Relict Geomorphic Features on Barrier Islands Using SAR

The shapes and elevations of barrier islands may change dramatically over a short period of time during a storm. Coastal scientists and engineers, however, are currently unable to measure these changes occurring over an entire barrier island at once. This three-year project, which is funded by NASA and jointly conducted by the Bureau of Economic Geology and the Center for Space Research at The University of Texas at Austin, is designed to overcome this problem by developing the use of interferometry from airborne synthetic aperture radar (AIRSAR) to measure coastal topography and to detect storm-induced changes in topography. Surrogate measures of topography observed in multiband, fully polarimetric AIRSAR (This type of data are now referred to as POLSAR data.) are also being investigated. Digital elevation models (DEM) of Galveston Island and Bolivar Peninsula, Texas obtained with Topographic SAR (TOPSAR) are compared with measurements by Global Positioning System (GPS) ground surveys and electronic total station surveys. In addition to topographic mapping, this project is evaluating the use of POLSAR to detect old features such as storm scarps, storm channels, former tidal inlets, and beach ridges that have been obscured by vegetation, erosion, deposition, and artificial filling. We have also expanded the work from the original proposal to include the mapping of coastal wetland vegetation and depositional environments. Methods developed during this project will provide coastal geologists with an unprecedented tool for monitoring and understanding barrier island systems. This understanding will improve overall coastal management policies and will help reduce the effects of natural and man-induced coastal hazards. This report summarizes our accomplishments during the second year of the study. Also included is a discussion of our planned activities for year 3 and a revised budget

Implementing the European Space Agency’s SentiNel application platform’s open-source Python module for differential synthetic aperture radar interferometry coseismic ground deformation from Sentinel-1 data

Differential SAR Interferometry is a largely exploited technique to study ground deformations. A key application is the detection of the effects promoted by earthquakes, including detailed variations in ground deformations at different scales. In this work, an implemented Python script (Snap2DQuake) based on the “snappy” module by SNAP software 9.0.8 (ESA) for the processing of satellite imagery is proposed. Snap2DQuake is aimed at producing detailed coseismic deformation maps using Sentinel-1 C-band data by the DInSAR technique. With this alternative approach, the processing is simplified, and several issues that may occur using the software are solved. The proposed tool has been tested on two case studies: the Mw 6.4 Petrinja earthquake (Croatia, December 2020) and the Mw 5.7 to Mw 6.3 earthquakes, which occurred near Tyrnavós (Greece, March 2021). The earthquakes, which occurred in two different tectonic contexts, are used to test and verify the validity of Snap2DQuake. Snap2DQuake allows us to provide detailed deformation maps along the vertical and E-W directions in perfect agreement with observations reported in previous works. These maps offer new insights into the deformation pattern linked to earthquakes, demonstrating the reliability of Snap2DQuake as an alternative tool for users working on different applications, even with basic coding skills.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Monitoring active open-pit mine stability in the Rhenish coalfields of Germany using a coherence-based SBAS method

With the recent progress in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) technology, especially the new generation of SAR satellites (Sentinel-1 and TerraSAR-X), our ability to assess slope stability in open-pit mines has significantly improved. The main objective of this work is to map ground displacement and slope instability over three open-pit mines, namely, Hambach, Garzweiler and Inden, in the Rhenish coalfields of Germany to provide long-term monitoring solutions for open-pit mining operations and their surroundings. Three SAR datasets, including Sentinel-1A data in ascending and descending orbits and TerraSAR-X data in a descending orbit, were processed by a modified small baseline subset (SBAS) algorithm, called coherence-based SBAS, to retrieve ground displacement related to the three open-pit mines and their surroundings. Despite the continuously changing topography over these active open-pit mines, the small perpendicular baselines of both Sentinel-1A and TerraSAR-X data were not affected by DEM errors and hence could yield accurate estimates of surface displacement. Significant land subsidence was observed over reclaimed areas, with rates exceeding 500 mm/yr, 380 mm/yr, and 310 mm/yr for the Hambach, Garzweiler and Inden mine, respectively. The compaction process of waste materials is the main contributor to land subsidence. Land uplift was found over the areas near the active working parts of the mines, which was probably due to excavation activities. Horizontal displacement retrieved from the combination of ascending and descending data was analysed, revealing an eastward movement with a maximum rate of ∼120 mm/yr on the western flank and a westward movement with a maximum rate of ∼ 60 mm/yr on the eastern flank of the pit. Former open-pit mines Fortuna-Garsdorf and Berghein in the eastern part of Rhenish coalfields, already reclaimed for agriculture, also show subsidence, at locations reaching 150 mm/yr. The interferometric results were compared, whenever possible, with groundwater information to analyse the possible reasons for ground deformation over the mines and their surroundings

Land Cover Classification using Sentinel-1 Radar Mission Interferometry

Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) has been widely used for many years in the field of remote sensing. SAR has valuable contribution due to its ability to provide complementary information to optical systems, penetration of radar waves through volumetric targets and high-resolution. SAR has the ability to operate during day and night. It provides operational services under all weather conditions. SAR imagery has many applications including land cover changes, environmental monitoring, climate change and military surveillance. This work focuses on land cover classification with SAR interferometry (InSAR) technique using Sentinel-1 space radar image pair. Sentinel-1 data were collected over the southern part of Estonia. Two SLC SAR images were acquired from both Sentinel-1A and Sentinel-1B with six days temporal difference. In this study, interferometric coherence and backscattering intensity processing chains have been set up and applied to Sentinel-1 SAR image pair. The Sentinel Application Platform (SNAP) has been used for processing of single pair for Sentinel-1 mission. The SNAP is an European Space Agency (ESA) software. The Sentinel-1 image pair processing has been done using Sentinel-1 Toolbox (S1TBX) which is a part of SNAP. Corine Land Cover (CLC) 2012 database has been used as a reference data with 20 m resolution. The CLC2012 contains land use/cover information for most of the European countries. A single optical image from Sentinel-2A was additionally used for feature extraction. An overall accuracy of 68% to 73% was achieved when performing classification into five classes (Urban, Field, Forest, Peat-land, Water) using supervised classification with k-nearest neighbour (kNN) algorithm. The accuracy assessment was done by using confusion matrices

Medición de subsidencia del terreno causada por sobreexplotación de acuíferos mediante herramientas GEP: A-DInSAR en la nube

[EN] Groundwater is a vitally important resource for humans. One of the main problems derived from the overexploitation of aquifers is land subsidence, which in turn carries other associated natural risks. Advanced Differential satellite radar interferometry (A-DInSAR) techniques provide valuable information on the surface displacements of the ground, which serve to characterize both the deformational behaviour of the aquifer and its properties. RESERVOIR is a research project belonging to the European PRIMA programme, whose main objective is to design sustainable groundwater management models through the study of four areas of the Mediterranean subjected to water stress. One of the main tasks of the project is the integration of the terrain deformation data obtained with satellite remote sensing techniques in the hydrogeological and geomechanical models of the aquifers. In the present work, a first evaluation of the deformation of the ground in each study area is carried out using the tools contained in the Geohazards Exploitation Platform (GEP). This is a service financed by the European Space Agency (ESA) that allows processing directly on its server, without need to store data or applications locally.[ES] Las aguas subterráneas son un recurso de vital importancia para el ser humano. Una de las principales problemáticas derivadas de la sobreexplotación de acuíferos es la subsidencia del terreno, que a su vez lleva asociados otros riesgos naturales. Las técnicas avanzadas de interferometría radar diferencial de satélite (A-DInSAR) aportan información muy valiosa sobre los desplazamientos superficiales del terreno, que sirven para caracterizar tanto el comportamiento geomecánico del acuífero como sus propiedades. RESERVOIR es un proyecto de investigación perteneciente al programa europeo PRIMA, cuyo principal objetivo es diseñar modelos sostenibles de gestión de aguas subterráneas mediante el estudio de cuatro zonas del Mediterráneo sometidas a estrés hídrico. Una de las principales tareas del proyecto es la integración de los datos de deformación del terreno obtenidos con técnicas de teledetección por satélite en los modelos hidrogeológicos y geomecánicos de los acuíferos. En el presente trabajo se realiza una primera evaluación de la deformación del terreno en cada zona de estudio utilizando las herramientas contenidas en la Geohazards Exploitation Platform (GEP). Este servicio financiado por la Agencia Espacial Europea (ESA) permite realizar procesados directamente en su servidor, sin necesidad de almacenar datos ni aplicaciones en local.This work was supported by RESERVOIR project, which is part of the PRIMA Programme supported under Horizon 2020 the European Union's Framework Programme for Research and Innovation. Grant Agreement number: [1924] [RESERVOIR] [Call 2019 Section 1 Water RIA]. Copernicus Sentinel-1 IW SAR data were provided and processed in ESA’s Geohazards Exploitation Platform (GEP), in the framework of the GEP Early Adopters Programme.Bru, G.; Ezquerro, P.; Guardiola-Albert, C.; Béjar-Pizarro, M.; Herrera, G.; Tomás, R.; Navarro-Hernández, M.... (2021). Land subsidence analysis caused by aquifer overexploitation using GEP tools: A-DInSAR on the cloud. En Proceedings 3rd Congress in Geomatics Engineering. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 127-136. https://doi.org/10.4995/CiGeo2021.2021.12722OCS12713

Exploration du contenu en information de l'interférométrie RSO lié à la neige

The objective of this research is to explore the information content of repeat-pass cross-track Interferometric SAR (InSAR) with regard to snow, in particular Snow Water Equivalent (SWE) and snow depth. The study is an outgrowth of earlier snow cover modeling and radar interferometry experiments at Schefferville, Quebec, Canada and elsewhere which has shown that for reasons of loss of coherence repeat-pass InSAR is not useful for the purpose of snow cover mapping, even when used in differential InSAR mode. Repeat-pass cross-track InSAR would overcome this problem. As at radar wavelengths dry snow is transparent, the main reflection is at the snow/ground interface. The high refractive index of ice creates a phase delay which is linearly related to the water equivalent of the snow pack. When wet, the snow surface is the main reflector, and this enables measurement of snow depth. Algorithms are elaborated accordingly. Field experiments were conducted at two sites and employ two different types of digital elevation models (DEM) produced by means of cross track InSAR. One was from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission digital elevation model (SRTM DEM), flown in February 2000. It was compared to the photogrammetrically produced Canadian Digital Elevation Model (CDEM) to examine snow-related effects at a site near Schefferville, where snow conditions are well known from half a century of snow and permafrost research. The second type of DEM was produced by means of airborne cross track InSAR (TOPSAR). Several missions were flown for this purpose in both summer and winter conditions during NASA's Cold Land Processes Experiment (CLPX) in Colorado, USA. Differences between these DEM's were compared to snow conditions that were well documented during the CLPX field campaigns. The results are not straightforward. As a result of automated correction routines employed in both SRTM and AIRSAR DEM extraction, the snow cover signal is contaminated. Fitting InSAR DEM's to known topography distorts the snow information, just as the snow cover distorts the topographic information. The analysis is therefore mostly qualitative, focusing on particular terrain situations. At Schefferville, where the SRTM was adjusted to known lake levels, the expected dry-snow signal is seen near such lakes. Mine pits and waste dumps not included in the CDEM are depicted and there is also a strong signal related to the spatial variations in SWE produced by wind redistribution of snow near lakes and on the alpine tundra. In Colorado, cross-sections across ploughed roads support the hypothesis that in dry snow the SWE is measurable by differential InSAR. They also support the hypothesis that snow depth may be measured when the snow cover is wet. Difference maps were also extracted for a 1 km2 Intensive Study Area (ISA) for which intensive ground truth was available. Initial comparison between estimated and observed snow properties yielded low correlations which improved after stratification of the data set.In conclusion, the study shows that snow-related signals are measurable. For operational applications satellite-borne cross-track InSAR would be necessary. The processing needs to be snow-specific with appropriate filtering routines to account for influences by terrain factors other than snow

Advanced exploitation of Sentinel-1 data for supporting landslide risk analysis

Tesi en modalitat de compendi de publicacionsSatellite Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry (InSAR) and Persistent Scatterer Interferometry (PSI) are now consolidated tools for ground movement detection and monitoring. Sentinel-1 (S1) is the first satellite providing free data access and ensuring a regular acquisition worldwide, every 6 days, increasing its potential for long-term monitoring applications. Several regional and national ground motion services are already active, providing products based on S1 data. Soon in 2022 the first European Ground Motion Service (EGMS) will be available and freely provide a displacement map over the whole Europe, with annual updates. This implies a strong expansion of availability of PSI-based displacement maps and an easy access for anyone, with an increasing interest among a wider range of users, including public or governmental institutions, academia, industry, and citizens. The analysis and interpretation of this amount of data is difficult and time consuming, mostly for non-expert InSAR users. The objective of this work is developing methodologies to simplify the operational use of PSI displacement maps, generating derived products with a clear message, easy-to-interpret, and fast to read. We propose a method to be applied over regional scale PSI displacement maps, to fast detect the most significant Active Deformation Areas (ADAs). The ADA map is a first product that allows a fast focusing on the active areas, to prioritize further analysis and investigation. Starting from the ADAs, the potential phenomena are attributed to each area through a preliminary interpretation based on auxiliary data, to derive the Geohazard Activity Map. In this work, a methodology to include the ADA information in the Civil Protection Activities is proposed, with the main output called Vulnerable Elements Activity Maps (VEAM). An application of the VEAM is illustrated in the Canary Islands. Furthermore, the ADA map is used in the Valle d'Aosta Region (Northern of Italy) to generate vulnerability and potential loss maps. Finally, a methodology to derive potential damage maps of the exposed buildings, based on the spatial gradients of movement, is proposed, and applied in a coastal area of the Province of Granada (Spain). A pack of software tools has been developed based on the proposed methods to extract ADA and then classify them to generate a Geohazard Activity Map. The set of tools is called ADATools, it is open-access, easy to use and fast, improving the operational exploitation of PSI regional-scale displacement maps. All the methodologies have been developed in the frame of several European projects (Safety, U-Geohaz, MOMIT and RISKCOAST), and are aimed at supporting the multi-scale territorial management and risk analysis activities, with a specific focus on landslides.La interferometría satelital radar (InSAR) y la interferometría de dispersores persistentes (PSI) son herramientas consolidadas para la detección y el monitoreo de movimientos de la superficie de la Tierra. Sentinel-1 (S1) es el primer satélite que proporciona acceso gratuito a los datos y garantiza una adquisición regular en todo el mundo, cada 6 días, aumentando su potencial para aplicaciones de monitoreo a largo plazo. Varios Ground Motion Services regionales y nacionales ya están activos, proporcionando productos basados en datos S1. Pronto, en 2022, el primer servicio europeo (European Ground Motion Service - EGMS) estará disponible y facilitará libremente un mapa de movimientos de toda Europa, con actualizaciones anuales. Esto implica un aumento de la disponibilidad de mapas de movimientos basados en PSI y un fácil acceso para cualquier persona, con un interés creciente entre una amplia gama de usuarios, incluyendo instituciones públicas o gubernamentales, academias, industrias y ciudadanos. El análisis e interpretación de esta cantidad de datos es difícil y consume mucho tiempo, mayormente para usuarios no expertos en la técnica. El objetivo de este trabajo es desarrollar metodologías para simplificar el uso operativo de los mapas de desplazamiento PSI, generando productos derivados con un mensaje claro, fácil de interpretar, y rápido de leer. Se propone un método para detectar rápidamente las Áreas de Deformación Activas (ADAs) más significativas, a partir de mapas de desplazamiento PSI de escala regional. El mapa de las ADAs es un primer producto que permite un enfoque rápido en las áreas activas, útil para priorizar el análisis y las investigaciones adicionales. A partir de las ADAs, se propone una interpretación preliminar basada en datos auxiliares, que atribuye a cada área el fenómeno que está detrás del movimiento, generando el Geohazard Activity Map (GAM). Después, se propone una metodología para incluir la información de las ADAs en las actividades de protección civil, generando los Vulnerable Element Activity Maps (VEAM), a través de su aplicación en las Islas Canarias. Además, el mapa de las ADAs se utiliza en la región de Valle D'Aosta (norte de Italia) para generar mapas de vulnerabilidad y posibles pérdidas económicas. Finalmente, se propone una metodología para obtener mapas de daños potenciales de los edificios expuestos, basados en los gradientes espaciales de movimiento, y se aplica en un área costera de la provincia de Granada (España). A partir de los métodos propuestos para extraer y clasificar las ADAs, y de otros métodos de análisis existentes, se ha desarrollado un paquete de herramientas, los ADAtools, de acceso abierto, fáciles de usar y rápidas, que optimizan la explotación operativa de los mapas de desplazamiento de escala regional. Todas las metodologías se han desarrollado en el marco de varios proyectos europeos (Safety, U-Geohaz, MOMIT y RISKCOAST), y están dirigidos a apoyar las actividades de gestión territorial y análisis de riesgos, con un enfoque específico a los deslizamientos de tierra.Enginyeria del terren

Advanced exploitation of Sentinel-1 data for supporting landslide risk analysis

Tesi en modalitat de compendi de publicacionsSatellite Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry (InSAR) and Persistent Scatterer Interferometry (PSI) are now consolidated tools for ground movement detection and monitoring. Sentinel-1 (S1) is the first satellite providing free data access and ensuring a regular acquisition worldwide, every 6 days, increasing its potential for long-term monitoring applications. Several regional and national ground motion services are already active, providing products based on S1 data. Soon in 2022 the first European Ground Motion Service (EGMS) will be available and freely provide a displacement map over the whole Europe, with annual updates. This implies a strong expansion of availability of PSI-based displacement maps and an easy access for anyone, with an increasing interest among a wider range of users, including public or governmental institutions, academia, industry, and citizens. The analysis and interpretation of this amount of data is difficult and time consuming, mostly for non-expert InSAR users. The objective of this work is developing methodologies to simplify the operational use of PSI displacement maps, generating derived products with a clear message, easy-to-interpret, and fast to read. We propose a method to be applied over regional scale PSI displacement maps, to fast detect the most significant Active Deformation Areas (ADAs). The ADA map is a first product that allows a fast focusing on the active areas, to prioritize further analysis and investigation. Starting from the ADAs, the potential phenomena are attributed to each area through a preliminary interpretation based on auxiliary data, to derive the Geohazard Activity Map. In this work, a methodology to include the ADA information in the Civil Protection Activities is proposed, with the main output called Vulnerable Elements Activity Maps (VEAM). An application of the VEAM is illustrated in the Canary Islands. Furthermore, the ADA map is used in the Valle d'Aosta Region (Northern of Italy) to generate vulnerability and potential loss maps. Finally, a methodology to derive potential damage maps of the exposed buildings, based on the spatial gradients of movement, is proposed, and applied in a coastal area of the Province of Granada (Spain). A pack of software tools has been developed based on the proposed methods to extract ADA and then classify them to generate a Geohazard Activity Map. The set of tools is called ADATools, it is open-access, easy to use and fast, improving the operational exploitation of PSI regional-scale displacement maps. All the methodologies have been developed in the frame of several European projects (Safety, U-Geohaz, MOMIT and RISKCOAST), and are aimed at supporting the multi-scale territorial management and risk analysis activities, with a specific focus on landslides.La interferometría satelital radar (InSAR) y la interferometría de dispersores persistentes (PSI) son herramientas consolidadas para la detección y el monitoreo de movimientos de la superficie de la Tierra. Sentinel-1 (S1) es el primer satélite que proporciona acceso gratuito a los datos y garantiza una adquisición regular en todo el mundo, cada 6 días, aumentando su potencial para aplicaciones de monitoreo a largo plazo. Varios Ground Motion Services regionales y nacionales ya están activos, proporcionando productos basados en datos S1. Pronto, en 2022, el primer servicio europeo (European Ground Motion Service - EGMS) estará disponible y facilitará libremente un mapa de movimientos de toda Europa, con actualizaciones anuales. Esto implica un aumento de la disponibilidad de mapas de movimientos basados en PSI y un fácil acceso para cualquier persona, con un interés creciente entre una amplia gama de usuarios, incluyendo instituciones públicas o gubernamentales, academias, industrias y ciudadanos. El análisis e interpretación de esta cantidad de datos es difícil y consume mucho tiempo, mayormente para usuarios no expertos en la técnica. El objetivo de este trabajo es desarrollar metodologías para simplificar el uso operativo de los mapas de desplazamiento PSI, generando productos derivados con un mensaje claro, fácil de interpretar, y rápido de leer. Se propone un método para detectar rápidamente las Áreas de Deformación Activas (ADAs) más significativas, a partir de mapas de desplazamiento PSI de escala regional. El mapa de las ADAs es un primer producto que permite un enfoque rápido en las áreas activas, útil para priorizar el análisis y las investigaciones adicionales. A partir de las ADAs, se propone una interpretación preliminar basada en datos auxiliares, que atribuye a cada área el fenómeno que está detrás del movimiento, generando el Geohazard Activity Map (GAM). Después, se propone una metodología para incluir la información de las ADAs en las actividades de protección civil, generando los Vulnerable Element Activity Maps (VEAM), a través de su aplicación en las Islas Canarias. Además, el mapa de las ADAs se utiliza en la región de Valle D'Aosta (norte de Italia) para generar mapas de vulnerabilidad y posibles pérdidas económicas. Finalmente, se propone una metodología para obtener mapas de daños potenciales de los edificios expuestos, basados en los gradientes espaciales de movimiento, y se aplica en un área costera de la provincia de Granada (España). A partir de los métodos propuestos para extraer y clasificar las ADAs, y de otros métodos de análisis existentes, se ha desarrollado un paquete de herramientas, los ADAtools, de acceso abierto, fáciles de usar y rápidas, que optimizan la explotación operativa de los mapas de desplazamiento de escala regional. Todas las metodologías se han desarrollado en el marco de varios proyectos europeos (Safety, U-Geohaz, MOMIT y RISKCOAST), y están dirigidos a apoyar las actividades de gestión territorial y análisis de riesgos, con un enfoque específico a los deslizamientos de tierra.Postprint (published version