Multi-path PALSAR interferometric observations of the 2008 magnitude 8.0 Wenchuan Earthquake

Abstract

The Satellite Differential Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (DInSAR) has already demonstrated its potential to map co-, post- and inter-seismic deformation. This paper presents an.alysis of the surface-displacement field of the 12 May 2008 magnitude 8.0 Wenchuan Earthquake using the Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS) Phased Array type L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (PALSAR) DInSAR. Six PALSAR interferograms of paths 471 to 476 are generated. A new approach, which uses the information of overlapping interferograms, has been developed to compensate for orbit error. The main advantage of this approach is that the calculation is performed without the need for phase unwrapping. Once the orbit error has been compensated for, the interferograms are then merged to form a single interferogram. The final mosaic of interferograms demonstrates a much more consistent co-seismic surface-displacement field than the original interferograms.