Multi-track PS-InSAR datum connection

InSAR data acquired from independent overlapping tracks can be exploited for a reliability assessment of the Persistent Scatterer InSAR (PS-InSAR) technique. This is obtained by means of the datum connection of multiple tracks, simultaneously evaluating the misclosures between multi-track PS-InSAR estimates. Due to a different viewing geometry, many of the detected PS will physically not be the same. However, their estimates may still refer to the same deformation signal. The existence of independent observations of the same deformation signal provides a powerful tool to increase the redundancy and evaluate the reliability. The datum connection can be subdivided in two steps. The first step consists of the conversion of PS locations to a common datum. Secondly, the PS-InSAR parameter estimates (velocities, displacements, heights) are connected. In stead of the conventional approach of separately geocoding each track, we propose the use of a common radar datum defined by the acquisition geometry of the ´master track´. Multi-track datum connection has been applied in the Groningen region, the Netherlands, which is affected by subsidence due to gas extraction with displacement rates up to 7 mm/year. The main reservoir is (partly) visible in 6 independent overlapping ERS tracks from 1992 (ascending and descending). Datum connection resulted in a consistent set of PS-InSAR deformation estimates. Additionally, the deformation signal was decomposed in horizontal and vertical movements, utilizing the different viewing geometries of the tracks.