G. Macaluso

Bio: G. Macaluso is an academic researcher from University of Florence. The author has contributed to research in topics: Radar & Radar imaging. The author has an hindex of 13, co-authored 32 publications receiving 709 citations.

High-speed CW step-frequency coherent radar for dynamic monitoring of civil engineering structures

Abstract: A high-speed coherent radar for dynamic testing of civil engineering structures is proposed. The radar operates a continuous-wave (CW) step-frequency in Ku-band, and the base-band signal is generated by direct digital synthesis. Vibration measurements carried out on a 200 m-long bridge forced by vehicular traffic are reported.

Monitoring of an Alpine Glacier by Means of Ground-Based SAR Interferometry

Abstract: Spaceborne differential synthetic aperture radar (SAR) interferometry has been proven to be a powerful tool in monitoring environmental phenomena and, in particular, in observing glaciers and retrieving information about their surface topography and dynamics. In the last decade, the use of this technique has been successfully extended from space to ground-based observations as a tool for monitoring, on a smaller scale, single landslides, unstable slopes, and more recently, areas covered by snow but not yet glaciers. In this letter, the results of an experimental activity carried out to evaluate the potential of ground-based microwave interferometry to estimate the velocity of an unstable area belonging to a glacier is reported. This experiment demonstrated the possibility of remotely monitoring surface displacements of the monitored glacier up to a distance of about 3 km even if, due to the lack of ground truths on the observed area, the data interpretation must be carefully worked out.

DEM by Ground-Based SAR Interferometry

Abstract: In this letter, a ground-based synthetic aperture radar (SAR) interferometer was used to generate digital elevation maps (DEMs) of the illuminated area. With respect to other ground-based data processing techniques, here, the effect of the propagation through the atmosphere is considered. An algorithm similar to multipass satellite SAR techniques was developed in accordance with the phase model used in the ground-based interferometry. Many images taken from different viewing angles were collected and combined to form different interferograms at a test site in Austria. Results from this technique have been compared with an existing geographic model of the test area.

Can we measure snow depth with GPS receivers

Abstract: [1] Snow is an important component of the climate system and a critical storage component in the hydrologic cycle. However, in situ observations of snow distribution are sparse, and remotely sensed products are imprecise and only available at a coarse spatial scale. GPS geodesists have long recognized that snow can affect a GPS signal, but it has not been shown that a GPS receiver placed in a standard geodetic orientation can be used to measure snow depth. In this paper, it is shown that changes in snow depth can be clearly tracked in the corresponding multipath modulation of the GPS signal. Results for two spring 2009 snowstorms in Colorado show strong agreement between GPS snow depth estimates, field measurements, and nearby ultrasonic snow depth sensors. Because there are hundreds of geodetic GPS receivers operating in snowy regions of the U.S., it is possible that GPS receivers installed for plate deformation studies, surveying, and weather monitoring could be used to also estimate snow depth.

Remote Sensing for Landslide Investigations: An Overview of Recent Achievements and Perspectives

Abstract: Landslides represent major natural hazards, which cause every year significant loss of lives and damages to buildings, properties and lifelines. In the last decades, a significant increase in landslide frequency took place, in concomitance to climate change and the expansion of urbanized areas. Remote sensing techniques represent a powerful tool for landslide investigation: applications are traditionally divided into three main classes, although this subdivision has some limitations and borders are sometimes fuzzy. The first class comprehends techniques for landslide recognition, i.e., the mapping of past or active slope failures. The second regards landslide monitoring, which entails both ground deformation measurement and the analysis of any other changes along time (e.g., land use, vegetation cover). The third class groups methods for landslide hazard analysis and forecasting. The aim of this paper is to give an overview on the applications of remote-sensing techniques for the three categories of landslide investigations, focusing on the achievements of the last decade, being that previous studies have already been exhaustively reviewed in the existing literature. At the end of the paper, a new classification of remote-sensing techniques that may be pertinently adopted for investigating specific typologies of soil and rock slope failures is proposed.

A review of ground-based SAR interferometry for deformation measurement

Abstract: This paper provides a review of ground-based SAR (GBSAR) interferometry for deformation measurement. In the first part of the paper the fundamentals of this technique are provided. Then the main data processing and analysis stages needed to estimate deformations starting from the GBSAR observations are described. This section introduces the two types of GBSAR acquisition modes, i.e., continuous and discontinuous GBSAR, and reviews the different GBSAR processing and analysis methods published in the literature. This is followed by a discussion of the specific technical aspects of GBSAR deformation measurement. A section then summarizes the pros and cons of GBSAR for deformation monitoring. The last part of the paper includes two reviews: one concerning the GBSAR systems described in the literature, including non-strictly SAR systems and a second one addresses the main GBSAR applications.

Terrestrial laser scanning of rock slope instabilities

Abstract: This manuscript presents a review on the application of a remote sensing technique (terrestrial laser scanning, TLS) to a well-known topic (rock slope characterization and monitoring). Although the number of publications on the use of TLS in rock slope studies has rapidly increased in the last 5–10 years, little effort has been made to review the key developments, establish a code of best practice and unify future research approaches. The acquisition of dense 3D terrain information with high accuracy, high data acquisition speed and increasingly efficient post-processing workflows is helping to better quantify key parameters of rock slope instabilities across spatial and temporal scales ranging from cubic decimetres to millions of cubic metres and from hours to years, respectively. Key insights into the use of TLS in rock slope investigations include: (a) the capability of remotely obtaining the orientation of slope discontinuities, which constitutes a great step forward in rock mechanics; (b) the possibility to monitor rock slopes which allows not only the accurate quantification of rockfall rates across wide areas but also the spatio-temporal modelling of rock slope deformation with an unprecedented level of detail. Studying rock slopes using TLS presents a series of key challenges, from accounting for the fractal character of rock surface to detecting the precursory deformation that may help in the future prediction of rock failures. Further investigation on the development of new algorithms for point cloud filtering, segmentation, feature extraction, deformation tracking and change detection will significantly improve our understanding on how rock slopes behave and evolve. Perspectives include the use of new 3D sensing devices and the adaptation of techniques and methods recently developed in other disciplines as robotics and 3D computer-vision to rock slope instabilities research.