SAR Interferometry to monitor landslides: a preliminar methodological approach

C.Antón, M.Ferrer, A.Bel-lan
ITGE, C/ Rios Rosas 23, 28003-MADRID, Spain
Tel. +34 1 349 5747 Fax +34 1 442 6216

A.Martinez, V.Moreno
Indra Espacio, C/ Mar Egeo s/n, 28850-S.Fernando de Henares, SPAIN
Tel. +34 1 396 3935 Fax +34 1 396 3912
e-mail: amar@mdr.inisel-espacio.es

An area located in an active border of the Betic Range in Granada, Southern
Spain, has been proposed to evaluate the potential of SAR interferometry to
assess the stability conditions and dynamic evolution of slopes, mainly
focused to the detection of movements in landslides. The Monachil test-site
encompasses various types of landslides affecting the slopes of an uneven
relief between the Granada depression and the heights of Sierra Nevada. Two
major flow-type landslides, occupying two broad valley bottons, have been
thoroughly investigated (1). The slope movements are mainly associated with
conglomerate and clay lithologies, the gradients of the slopes affected by
the movements varying between 10 and 40 degrees. Some of the landslides are
associated to significant faults.

Existing detailed lithological, structural, geomorphological and land use
information have been compiled and introduced within a GIS system. Selection
of available images registered within ERS1&ERS2 tandem mission, before and
after heavy rain period (December 95-June 96), produced four pair of data.
Generation of SAR PRI images and comparison to optical data have permitted
evaluation of land use changes in a first step. Altimetry data available for
the area at 1:25000 scale have been used to produce a DEM to geometrically
rectify the SAR data.


(1) Meteorological factors influencing slope stability. Evaluation of hazard
prone areas. Task 4: Selection of different types of landslides and detailed
analysis. Monachil zone. UE Project MEFISST, 1995.

Keywords: ESA European Space Agency - Agence spatiale europeenne, observation de la terre, earth observation, satellite remote sensing, teledetection, geophysique, altimetrie, radar, chimique atmospherique, geophysics, altimetry, radar, atmospheric chemistry