Using TerraSAR-X SAR interferometric data to derive maps of the atmospheric phase delay

In this work we investigate the use of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images acquired by the TerraSAR-X satellite operating a very high resolution X-band SAR sensor to generate maps of temporal and spatial variations of the water vapour distribution with a horizontal resolution of 27×27 m over the Lisbon region, Portugal. We present the result of a time series of delay maps obtained by processing a set of interferometric SAR images acquired by the TerraSAR-X mission. The maps are calibrated by means of GPS estimations of the delay over the same area and covering the time interval between the first and the last SAR acquisition. The availability of maps with a high spatial resolution could increase the quality of quantitative precipitation forecasting and open interesting perspectives for nowcasting applications.