EZ-InSAR: An easy-to-use open-source toolbox for mapping ground surface deformation using satellite interferometric...

Area of Science:

• Geodesy
• Remote Sensing
• Geophysics

Background:

• Satellite Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) offers millimetre-accuracy ground displacement mapping.
• Existing open-source InSAR software requires deep theoretical and computational expertise, especially for large datasets.
• Copernicus Sentinel-1 satellites provide extensive SAR data for InSAR applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce EZ-InSAR, an open-source, user-friendly toolbox for InSAR displacement time series analysis.
• To streamline the processing of multi-temporal SAR images for ground deformation studies.
• To reduce the technical barrier for utilizing advanced InSAR techniques.

Main Methods:

• Integration of ISCE, StaMPS, and MintPy open-source InSAR processing tools.
• Development of a Graphical User Interface (GUI) for seamless workflow.
• Automated downloading of Sentinel-1 SAR data and Digital Elevation Models.
• Streamlined data stack preparation for time series analysis.

Main Results:

• Successful mapping of ground deformation in Campi Flegrei and Long Valley calderas using Persistent Scatterer InSAR and Small-Baseline Subset methods.
• Demonstrated processing capabilities for significant deformation rates (>100 mm/yr and ~10 mm/yr).
• Validation of InSAR results against Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) measurements.

Conclusions:

• EZ-InSAR provides a valuable, accessible tool for ground deformation monitoring and geohazard evaluation.
• The toolbox facilitates the dissemination of InSAR observations to a broader community.
• EZ-InSAR simplifies complex InSAR analysis, enabling wider application of geodetic techniques.