Introducing the Short Baseline (SBAS) Tool for Interferometry

Abstract:

Interferometry uses pairs of Synthetic Aperture Radar ("SAR") data products to detect surface changes and displacement. A time series of interferograms can be used to detect centimeter-scale surface displacements over time. However, the SAR data products used in interferometry are large and require a significant investment from the user in download time, storage volume, and processing power. Moreover, the analysis is not always successful; for numerous reasons interferometric analysis can fail. The Alaska Satellite Facility ("ASF") has added a new capability to it’s search tools to provide a better indication of the potential success of interferometric analysis.

ASF provides interferometric search capability through the Vertex application allowing users to search SAR data from a number of different missions. A new offering through Vertex is the Short Baseline ("SBAS") tool, which gives a view of an interferometric stack that allows users to quickly assess a time series’ potential utility for interferometry. Once a user has selected a stack of SAR data products, the SBAS tool within Vertex provides a user with a view showing the elements of the stack together with their temporal and spatial separation. Users can readily assess a stack’s suitability for analysis, ensuring it has sufficient and sufficiently uniform coverage, and coverage in the more important time windows. Once a user has determined that the analysis has promise, the tool allows a user to easily download all of the necessary data products.

The new SBAS feature available as part of ASF’s Vertex website is a valuable addition to a SAR user’s toolbox, facilitating interferometry and time-series analysis, and allowing a user to focus their efforts on analyses that are likely to yield results.