Methodology ยท SAR processing
InSAR - surface deformation
Measures millimetre-scale ground surface displacement by comparing phase differences between repeat SAR passes; good for subsidence, earthquake deformation, and volcanic monitoring.
How it works
Interferometric phase encodes range change between passes. Requires precise orbit knowledge and temporal coherence between acquisitions. [Wikipedia: Interferometric synthetic-aperture radar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interferometric_synthetic-aperture_radar)
Topics this serves
- Geology and geohazards well suited
- Subsidence well suited
- Flooding marginal
Existing implementations
Demonstrated
Capable, undemonstrated
Related methodologies
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Decomposes backscatter into scattering mechanisms (surface, double-bounce, volume) using multi-polarisation data; good for forest structure estimation, urban mapping, and soil moisture retrieval.
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Detects land-cover or structural change by comparing backscatter intensity across dates; good for flood mapping, deforestation alerts, and disaster damage assessment.
Sources
- [wikipedia]Wikipedia: Interferometric synthetic-aperture radarcommunityaccessed 2026-05-22
Methodology
Edited from public sources. Last reviewed date pending by SpectraWorks editorial. See the data dictionary for field definitions.