Advanced InSAR Techniques for Landslide Assessment at Regional and Local Scale

SqueeSAR™ interferometry, the latest evolution of PSInSAR™ technology, is one of today’s most advanced technologies for ground deformation analysis and monitoring. It exploits long temporal series of satellite radar data, acquired over the same area of interest at different times, to identify “natural radar targets”, that return stable radar reflections over time back to the satellite, where very precise displacement information can be retrieved. Thanks to its capability in detecting millimetre level displacements over long periods and large areas, SqueeSAR™ analysis can be considered complementary to conventional geological and geomorphological studies in landslide detection and monitoring, supporting also the effectiveness of landslide inventories at regional scale. The availability of surface displacement time series for all the radar targets identified also makes it possible to change the scale of analysis from regional to local, allowing in depth studies into the evolution of single instability phenomena, supporting the design of traditional monitoring networks and even verifying the efficiency of remedial works. In this paper, examples of integration of SqueeSAR™ data with other conventional geological and geomorphological studies at local and regional scale will be presented, pointing up the benefits offered by an integrated approach.