Satellite InSAR Data – Surface Deformation Monitoring from Space

Instructor: Alessandro Ferretti
Language: English
Level: Foundation
Duration and formats:
Online: 2 live sessions of 3-4 hours CPD Points: 4
Classroom: 1 day CPD Points: 5

Course Description

Satellite radar data are revolutionizing how we monitor and understand surface deformation. From mapping earthquake impacts with routinely generated co-seismic deformation maps to ensuring compliance with evolving environmental regulations, radar measurements are proving indispensable across a wide range of applications. This is because radar technology offers the unparalleled ability to remotely measure tiny surface displacements – down to millimeters – across vast areas and over extended periods, eliminating the need for costly and time-consuming ground-based monitoring. However, many geoscientists and engineers are unfamiliar with how radar sensors orbiting the Earth can measure ground displacements of a fraction of a centimeter. This course bridges that gap, providing a step-by-step introduction to satellite radar sensors, SAR imagery, SAR interferometry (InSAR), and advanced InSAR techniques.

Course Outline

Here’s a glimpse into the applications you’ll explore:

  • Subsidence Monitoring: From identifying subtle ground sinking in coastal regions and urban centers to monitoring the stability of critical infrastructure like dams and bridges, InSAR provides crucial insights for risk assessment and mitigation.
  • Landslide Mapping and Monitoring: Learn how InSAR can detect subtle ground movements, enabling proactive hazard mapping and monitoring of unstable slopes.
  • Energy Applications: Discover how InSAR contributes to safer and more sustainable energy practices. Monitor caprock integrity in carbon storage sites (CCS), track ground deformation related to underground gas storage (UGS), and provide useful information in geothermal energy projects.
  • Oil and Gas Reservoir Monitoring: Explore how InSAR data can be used to monitor reservoir dynamics, track fluid extraction and injection processes, identify potential subsidence or uplift, and assess risks to well integrity.
  • Mining Area Monitoring: InSAR plays a crucial role in ensuring the safety and sustainability of mining operations. It helps monitor surface deformation around open-pit mines and underground workings, assess the stability of tailings dams and waste piles, and mitigate risks associated with subsidence and slope instability.

Beyond the fundamentals, this course delves into:

  • Historical InSAR Archives: it will be shown how extensive archives of SAR imagery, dating back to 1992, can enable the investigation of long-term deformation trends and historical ground behavior.
  • The Future of InSAR: you will get a glimpse into the latest advancements in InSAR technology, including new satellite missions
  • with enhanced capabilities and cutting-edge data integration and visualization techniques.
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Participants’ Profile

Specifically designed for geoscientists and engineers with no prior background in remote sensing, this course breaks down complex concepts into accessible language. You’ll gain a solid understanding of how InSAR data is acquired and processed, and why it has become an essential information source across a wide range of disciplines.

Prerequisites

None specified.

About the Instructor

Alessandro Ferretti graduated in electronic engineering in 1993 at the Politecnico di Milano (POLIMI). He then received his MSc. in information technology from CEFRIEL (1994) and his PhD in electrical engineering from POLIMI (1997). Since 1994 his research efforts have been focused on radar data processing, SAR interferometry and the use of remote sensing information for oil&gas and Civil Protection applications. He is co-inventor of the “Permanent Scatterer Technique” (PSInSARTM) and its advanced version: SqueeSARTM, a technology providing millimetre accuracy surface deformation measurements from satellite radar data. In 2000 he founded, together with professors Rocca and Prati the company “Tele-Rilevamento Europa” (TRE), where he is currently CEO. TRE is today the most successful POLIMI spin-off company, offering high-quality surface deformation data for many different applications, from oil/gas reservoir surveillance, to landslide monitoring. Since 2008, he has acted as Chairman of the Board of TRE Canada Inc. He is member of EAGE, SPE and the IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society. In June 2012, Alessandro Ferretti, together with Prof. Fabio Rocca, was awarded the “ENI Award 2012” for the potential impact of the PSInSARTM technology on the oil&gas sector.