Temporal and geometrical decorrelation often prevents SAR interferometry from being an operational tool for surface deformation monitoring and topographic profile reconstruction. Moreover, atmospheric disturbances can strongly compromise the accuracy of the results. The authors present a complete procedure for the identification and exploitation of stable natural reflectors or permanent scatterers (PSs) starting from long temporal series of interferometric SAR images. When, as it often happens, the dimension of the PS is smaller than the resolution cell, the coherence is good even for interferograms with baselines larger than the decorrelation one, and all the available images of the ESA ERS data set can be successfully exploited. On these pixels, submeter DEM accuracy and millimetric terrain motion detection can be achieved, since atmospheric phase screen (APS) contributions can be estimated and removed. Examples are then shown of small motion measurements, DEM refinement, and APS estimation and removal in the case of a sliding area in Ancona, Italy. ERS data have been used.

Permanent scatterers in SAR interferometry

SUMMARY
We describe best-fitting angular velocities and MORVEL, a new closure-enforced set of angular velocities for the geologically current motions of 25 tectonic plates that collectively occupy 97 per cent of Earth's surface. Seafloor spreading rates and fault azimuths are used to determine the motions of 19 plates bordered by mid-ocean ridges, including all the major plates. Six smaller plates with little or no connection to the mid-ocean ridges are linked to MORVEL with GPS station velocities and azimuthal data. By design, almost no kinematic information is exchanged between the geologically determined and geodetically constrained subsets of the global circuit—MORVEL thus averages motion over geological intervals for all the major plates. Plate geometry changes relative to NUVEL-1A include the incorporation of Nubia, Lwandle and Somalia plates for the former Africa plate, Capricorn, Australia and Macquarie plates for the former Australia plate, and Sur and South America plates for the former South America plate. MORVEL also includes Amur, Philippine Sea, Sundaland and Yangtze plates, making it more useful than NUVEL-1A for studies of deformation in Asia and the western Pacific. Seafloor spreading rates are estimated over the past 0.78 Myr for intermediate and fast spreading centres and since 3.16 Ma for slow and ultraslow spreading centres. Rates are adjusted downward by 0.6–2.6 mm yr−1 to compensate for the several kilometre width of magnetic reversal zones. Nearly all the NUVEL-1A angular velocities differ significantly from the MORVEL angular velocities. The many new data, revised plate geometries, and correction for outward displacement thus significantly modify our knowledge of geologically current plate motions. MORVEL indicates significantly slower 0.78-Myr-average motion across the Nazca–Antarctic and Nazca–Pacific boundaries than does NUVEL-1A, consistent with a progressive slowdown in the eastward component of Nazca plate motion since 3.16 Ma. It also indicates that motions across the Caribbean–North America and Caribbean–South America plate boundaries are twice as fast as given by NUVEL-1A. Summed, least-squares differences between angular velocities estimated from GPS and those for MORVEL, NUVEL-1 and NUVEL-1A are, respectively, 260 per cent larger for NUVEL-1 and 50 per cent larger for NUVEL-1A than for MORVEL, suggesting that MORVEL more accurately describes historically current plate motions. Significant differences between geological and GPS estimates of Nazca plate motion and Arabia–Eurasia and India–Eurasia motion are reduced but not eliminated when using MORVEL instead of NUVEL-1A, possibly indicating that changes have occurred in those plate motions since 3.16 Ma. The MORVEL and GPS estimates of Pacific–North America plate motion in western North America differ by only 2.6 ± 1.7 mm yr−1, ≈25 per cent smaller than for NUVEL-1A. The remaining difference for this plate pair, assuming there are no unrecognized systematic errors and no measurable change in Pacific–North America motion over the past 1–3 Myr, indicates deformation of one or more plates in the global circuit. Tests for closure of six three-plate circuits indicate that two, Pacific–Cocos–Nazca and Sur–Nubia–Antarctic, fail closure, with respective linear velocities of non-closure of 14 ± 5 and 3 ± 1 mm yr−1 (95 per cent confidence limits) at their triple junctions. We conclude that the rigid plate approximation continues to be tremendously useful, but—absent any unrecognized systematic errors—the plates deform measurably, possibly by thermal contraction and wide plate boundaries with deformation rates near or beneath the level of noise in plate kinematic data.

Geologically current plate motions

Differential SAR interferometry measurements provide a unique tool for low-cost, large-coverage surface deformations monitoring. Limitations are essentially due to temporal decorrelation and atmospheric inhomogeneities. Though temporal decorrelation and atmospheric disturbances strongly affect interferogram quality, reliable deformation measurements can be obtained in a multi-image framework on a small subset of image pixels, corresponding to stable areas. These points, hereafter called Permanent Scatterers, can be used as a `natural GPS network' to monitor terrain motion, analyzing the phase history of each one. In this paper, results obtained using 45 ERS SAR images gathered over the Italian town of Camaiore (within a time span of more than 6 years and a range of normal baseline of more than 2000 m) are presented. The area is of high geophysical interest because it is known to be unstable. A subterranean cavity collapsed in October 1995 causing the ruin of several houses in that location. Time series analysis of the phase values showed the presence of precursors three months before the collapse.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

[1] We present a new global model for Recent plate velocities, REVEL, describing the relative velocities of 19 plates and continental blocks. The model is derived from publicly available space geodetic (primarily GPS) data for the period 1993–2000. We include an independent and rigorous estimate for GPS velocity uncertainties to assess plate rigidity and propagate these uncertainties to the velocity estimates. The velocity fields for North America, Eurasia, and Antarctica clearly show the effects of glacial isostatic adjustment, and Australia appears to depart from rigid plate behavior in a manner consistent with the mapped intraplate stress field. Two thirds of tested plate pairs agree with the NUVEL-1A geologic (3 Myr average) velocities within uncertainties. Three plate pairs (Caribbean–North America, Caribbean–South America, and North America–Pacific) exhibit significant differences between the geodetic and geologic model that may reflect systematic errors in NUVEL-1A due to the use of seafloor magnetic rate data that do not reflect the full plate rate because of tectonic complexities. Most other differences probably reflect real velocity changes over the last few million years. Several plate pairs (Arabia–Eurasia, Arabia–Nubia, Eurasia–India) move more slowly than the 3 Myr NUVEL-1A average, perhaps reflecting long-term deceleration associated with continental collision. Several other plate pairs, including Nazca–Pacific, Nazca–South America and Nubia–South America, are experiencing slowing that began ∼25 Ma, the beginning of the current phase of Andean crustal shortening.

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REVEL: A model for Recent plate velocities from space geodesy

SUMMARY In this paper we present a global model (GSRM-1) of both horizontal velocities on the Earth’s surface and horizontal strain rates for almost all deforming plate boundary zones. A model strain rate field is obtained jointly with a global velocity field in the process of solving for a global velocity gradient tensor field. In our model we perform a least-squares fit between model velocities and observed geodetic velocities, as well as between model strain rates and observed geological strain rates. Model velocities and strain rates are interpolated over a spherical Earth using bi-cubic Bessel splines. We include 3000 geodetic velocities from 50 different, mostly published, studies. Geological strain rates are obtained for central Asia only and they are inferred from Quaternary fault slip rates. For all areas where no geological information is included a priori constraints are placed on the style and direction (but not magnitude) of the model strain rate field. These constraints are taken from a seismic strain rate field inferred from (normalized) focal mechanisms of shallow earthquakes. We present a global solution of the second invariant of the model strain rate field as well as strain rate solutions for a few selected plate boundary zones. Generally, the strain rate tensor field is consistent with geological and seismological data. With the assumption of plate rigidity for all areas other than the plate boundary zones we also present relative angular velocities for most plate pairs. We find that in general there is a good agreement between the present-day plate motions we obtain and longterm plate motions, but a few significant differences exist. The rotation rates for the Indian, Arabian and Nubian plates relative to Eurasia are 30, 13 and 50 per cent slower than the NUVEL1A estimate, respectively, and the rotation rate for the Nazca Plate relative to South America is 17 per cent slower. On the other hand, Caribbean‐North America motion is 76 per cent faster than the NUVEL-1A estimate. While crustal blocks in the India‐Eurasia collision zone move significantly and self-consistently with respect to bounding plates, only a very small motion is predicted between the Nubian and Somalian plates. By integrating plate boundary zone deformation with the traditional modelling of angular velocities of rigid plates we have obtained a model that has already been proven valuable in, for instance, redefining a no-net-rotation model of surface motions and by confirming a global correlation between seismicity rates and tectonic moment rates along subduction zones and within zones of continental deformation.

/pdf/an-integrated-global-model-of-present-day-plate-motions-and-57ic0m6oev.pdf

An integrated global model of present-day plate motions and plate boundary deformation

Space-geodetic estimation of the nazca-south america euler vector

New space geodetic constraints on the distribution of deformation in Central Asia

For repeat pass SAR interferometry, two precision orbit products from ESA (processed at GFZ/D-PAF, Oberpfaffenhofen) are available: ERS-1/2.ORB.PRC's and ERS-1/2.ORB.PRL's. The conversion of interferogram phases to absolute surface heights require a relative baseline accuracy of 5 cm or even better. In a case study, the preliminary (PRL) and precise (PRC) orbits are used to derive DEMs. The results are compared with existing DTMs. In the test area in Thuringia (Germany), corner reflectors allow an additional accuracy assessment. The impact of orbit uncertainties on D-INSAR deformation analysis is less critical and the PRC's already fulfil the accuracy demands. This is demonstrated by an example from the Dead Sea transform zone in IsraeL

Impact of Precise Orbits on SAR Interferometry

In the framework of the GEODYnamics of South and South-East Asia (GEODYSSEA) project a network of 42 stations was observed by GPS during two field campaigns in 1994 and 1996. BKG and GFZ realized a third observation of the complete network in 1998. The data was analyzed independently by two analysis centers and a precision of the coordinate solutions was found to be 4–7 mm for the horizontal, and 10 mm for the vertical component. Subsequently, these campaign solutions were merged into one unique solution, which was accurately mapped into the International Terrestrial Reference Frame of 1997 (ITRF97). The global accuracy of this solution with respect to ITRF97 is of the order of 10 mm, while the resolution of the relative horizontal velocities is estimated to be at the level of 2–3 mm/yr. Comparison of the new solution with the previously published GEODYSSEA solution indicates, that improved results for the motion of Sundaland, South China and the overall deformation in the area could be found. Improvements are due to the increased time span and due to a better connection to and the advances in the ITRF reference frame. The new set of coordinates and velocities is used as the basis for scientific interpretations, which have been and will be published in separate papers.

/pdf/improving-the-velocity-field-in-south-and-south-east-asia-n03dqr5alq.pdf

Improving the velocity field in South and South-East Asia: The third round of GEODYSSEA

Using data of two GPS campaigns as well as two ERS-1/2 Single Look Complex (SLC) datasets, we studied the distribution of co-seismic and post-earthquake surface deformation of the major (moment magnitude Mw=8.1) Antofagasta (Chile) event of 30 July 1995. Earthquake-related fault dimensions and inter-seismic surface deformation patterns were achieved by comparing results from the GPS and interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) investigations and by applying interpretative forward dislocation modelling. SAR data post-dating the major earthquake suggest a change in deformation directions after the earthquake within the first 50–80 km normal to the Chilean coast and show opposite signs when comparing results of the western part of the study area with those of the eastern part. We propose that this change in direction might be indicative of a superposition of relatively rapid post-seismic slip along a deeper section of the fault zone and/or distributed relaxation of the lower crust/upper mantle and seis...

C. Reigber

Papers

Space-geodetic estimation of the nazca-south america euler vector

New space geodetic constraints on the distribution of deformation in Central Asia

Impact of Precise Orbits on SAR Interferometry

Improving the velocity field in South and South-East Asia: The third round of GEODYSSEA

Seismic unloading and loading in northern central Chile as observed by differential Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry (D-INSAR) and GPS