Cascades of InSAR in the Cascades - outlook for the use of InSAR and space-based imaging catalogues in a Subduction Zone Observatory

Abstract:

Interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) has long demonstrated its utility to studies of subduction zone earthquakes, crustal events and volcanic processes, particularly in regions with very good temporal data coverage (e.g., Japan), or arid regions where the timescale of surface change is long compared to the repeat time of the available SAR imagery (e.g., portions of South America). Recently launched and future SAR missions with open data access will increase the temporal sampling rates further over many areas of the globe, resulting in a new ability to lower the detection threshold for earthquakes and, potentially, interseismic motion and transients associated with subduction zone settings. 

Here we describe some of the anticipated detection abilities for events ranging from earthquakes and slow slip along the subduction zone interface up to landslides, and examine the variations in land use around the circum-Pacific and how that and its changes over time will affect the use of InSAR. We will show the results of an effort to combine Landsat and other optical imagery with SAR data catalogues in the Pacific Northwest to improve the characterization of ground deformation signals, including the identification of “spurious” signals that are not related to true ground deformation. We also describe prospects for working with other communities that are interested in variations in soil moisture and vegetation structure over the same terrain.