InSAR Geodesy and Volcanoes: 2020

Abstract:

Volcanoes have been prime targets for geodetic study for a long time, and the advent of InSAR space geodesy has greatly impacted the field. This relatively new data source has matured considerably during the past decade, enabling answers to a number of new questions. Much of what affects volcano hazards and evolution involves migration of magma or pressure underground, which we can measure through deformation of the surface. For the InSAR geodesist, volcanoes present reliably moving surfaces that yield detailed images of crustal deformation, and combining both of these is leading to a better understanding of these fascinating bodies. Here we review how technological advances over the past decade in InSAR have addressed our ability to monitor and analyze volcanic processes. The principal changes have directly improved our ability to i) observe rapidly changing surfaces globally, and ii) process and analyze these measurements quickly and accurately, making space geodesy a valuable and viable method for assessing hazard and understanding how many volcanoes work. Specifically, we examine how today’s systems achieve adequate sampling in time and space, global coverage, and generate products that are easy to use by nonspecialists. All of these have often limited the practical study of volcanoes using radar measurements, and are much less vexing than in the past. We also look to the future, with some predictions about where we might be 10 years’ hence as regards the geodetic study of volcanoes on Earth and other planets.