Determining Suitable Spaceborne SAR Observations and Ground Control Points for Surface Deformation Study in Rugged Terrain with InSAR Technique

We aim to address two primary issues using the multitemporal (MT) spaceborne SAR observations and InSAR technique to monitor slope stability in rugged terrains. One is how to maximize the observation and application effectiveness based on the geometric distortion in an area of interest for determining appropriate ascending- and descending-orbit SAR observations. The other is how to optimize the selection of ground control points (GCPs) to correct orbital phase errors and reference in deriving valid ground surface displacements in the SBAS InSAR analysis. Four criteria were proposed to identify valid GCPs efficiently and effectively. The 2017 Xinmo landslide event, China, was showcased. The tear-away zone was 100% and ∼50% distorted when imaged by ascending- and descending-orbit Sentinel-1A/B SAR sensors. The descending SAR datasets were preferred. Then, we identified four spatially dispersed GCP clusters with the selection criteria using the SBAS InSAR technique and 45 descending-orbit MT SAR datasets. One GCP per cluster was chosen. With the four GCPs and SBAS analysis, we successfully detected the stable status in the landslide-free area and the prelandslide acceleration movement within the tear-away zone. Valid InSAR-derived results have been obtained. In turn, the GCP selection criteria have been validated, and the two issues resolved

Measuring ground subsidence in Ha Noi through the radar interferometry technique using terrasar-x and cosmos skymed data

International audienceMultitemporal synthetic aperture radar (SAR) interferometry (InSAR) is a widely used technique to measure the ground subsidence and has already shown its ability to map such phenomena on a large spatial scale with millimetric accuracy from space. In Vietnam, to have independent SAR data for surface risk applications, a new X-band SAR mission (JV-LOTUSat) has been scheduled for launch for the 2019-2020 timeframe. However, Vietnam is located in tropical regions where their conditions are impacted by strong atmosphere. The aim of this article is to provide a better understanding of the capabilities of the X-band for estimating the ground subsidence under tropical atmospheric conditions. Analysis is carried out on two stacks, TerraSAR-X and Cosmos SkyMed X-band, from 2011 to 2014 in Ha Noi. We show that the results on the ground subsidence from InSAR processing can describe consistently the subsidence area based on ground measurements. This article demonstrates that the InSAR technique can be effective at detecting and estimating the subsidence phenomena even with the X-band and under conditions typical of tropical regions. The displacement results from TerraSAR-X and Cosmos SkyMed datasets are consistent, with a correlation coefficient (R2) of 0.91 for the period during which their coverage overlaps. Groundwater overexploitation is one of the main causes of the ground subsidence in Ha Noi. This study provides strong support for the scientific potential of the X-band SAR space-borne mission in Vietnam and other tropical countries because it demonstrates the feasibility of the ground subsidence estimates by the X-band SAR, even in conditions impacted by strong atmosphere

Housing quality and lost (public) space in Croatia

IN ENGLISH: In the post-socialist period and within the current social transition context, urban and rural Croatia has, just like other transition countries, experienced many changes in the social structure and space. One example is the housing quality which is a replica of the situation in the Croatian society and has also undergone some major changes. Socially oriented housing construction co-financed by the state and the cities is in an unfavourable position compared to private housing construction. In the last twenty years the amount of the social housing construction has been only a minor part of the total contruction work in the country. For instance, out of nine newly planned residential housing developments in Zagreb, the capital city, only three have been completed and the work on the rest of them has stopped and is unlikely to continue. Private construction work prevails especially on the edge of the city and is characterised by high density housing. This type of housing construction doesn't benefit the majority of citizens in search of accommodation (price per square meter is too high, low-quality building). There is also a big problem of the community facilities (primary and secondary infrastructure, schools, kindergartens, playgrounds, green areas, sidewalks, public transport etc.). The existing globalisation-transition circumstances of the Croatian society corroborate the fact which experts of various profiles often point out: ignoring the process of (urban) planning will irreparably damage the space. The city transformation shows the absence of comprehensive urban planning which results in an ever increasing number of random buildings which do not fit in the surroundings. This leads up to yet another important issue – the shrinking and, in some cases, disappearance of public space which becomes the “lost space“. In recent years there has been a lot of building in the city core and on the edge which does not quite fit in the existing urban structure, image or the skyline of the city. The current situation in the process of planning can be characterized as a conflict and imbalance between the powerful actors (mostly political and economic) and less powerful actors (mostly professional and civil). The actors who have the political power and influence and the ones who possess the capital are forming an “alliance” between two important layers of the social structure. The lack of civil and professional actors, “lost spatial actors”, and therefore of civic aggregation is also present and that is also the cause of public space “disappearance” and undermined process of public participation. --------------- IN CROATIAN: U postsocijalističkom razdoblju i trenutnom tranzicijskom kontekstu urbana i ruralna Hrvatska su, kao i ostale tranzicijske zemlje, doživjele mnoge promjene u društvenoj strukturi i samom prostoru. Na primjeru kvalitete stanovanja kao replike stanja u hrvatskom društvu mogu se vidjeti značajne promjene. Društveno usmjerena stambena izgradnja sufinancirana od strane države i gradova je stoga rjeđa i u nepovoljnijoj je situaciji prema privatnoj stanogradnji. Zadnjih dvadeset godina udjel socijalne stambene gradnje je zanemariv u ukupnoj izgradnji na razini zemlje. Primjerice, od devet planiranih stambenih naselja izgrađenih po modelu POS-a u Zagrebu samo su tri i završena. Na ostalima je proces gradnje zastao i ne čini se da će se privesti kraju. Privatna je gradnje prisutnija, posebno na rubovima grada, a obilježava je visoka gustoća gradnje. Ovakav tip gradnje ne odgovara većini stanovnika koji su u procesu potražnje stambene nekretnine (visoka cijena kvadratnog metra, a slaba kvaliteta gradnje). Postoji također i problem nedostatne opremljenosti susjedstva (primarna i sekundarna infrastruktura, škole, vrtići, igrališta, zelene površine, pješačke staze, javni transport itd.). Navedene globalizacijsko-tranzicijske okolnosti hrvatskog društva potvrđuju ono što eksperti različitih profila ističu, a to je da će ignoriranje procesa (urbanog) planiranja nepovratno uništiti prostor gradova. Ovakve transformacije pokazuju nedostatak sustavnog urbanog planiranja što rezultira sve većim brojem zgrada koje se ne uklapaju u neposrednu okolinu. To nadalje dovodi do drugog važnog aspekta – smanjivanja i u nekim slučajevima, nestanka javnog prostora koji postaje „izgubljeni prostor“. Posljednjih je godina izgrađen velik broj zgrada, i u središtu i na rubovima grada, koje se ne uklapaju u postojeću urbanu strukturu, izgled ili vizuru grada. Ovakvu situaciju obilježavaju sukob i neravnoteža između moćnijih društvenih aktera (većinom političkih i ekonomskih) i onih manje moćnih (većinom profesionalnih i civilnih). Politički i ekonomski akteri se često povezuju u „savez“ dvaju najjačih u društvenoj strukturi. S druge strane nedostatak utjecaja civilnih i profesionalnih aktera kao „izgubljenih prostornih aktera“ dovodi do „nestanka“ javnih prostora te smanjenja važnosti procesa participacije (sudjelovanja javnosti)