Andrea Tamburini

Permanent scatterers analysis for atmospheric correction in ground-based SAR interferometry

Ground-based synthetic aperture radar (GB-SAR) interferometry has already been recognized as a powerful tool, complementary or alternative to spaceborne SAR interferometry, for terrain monitoring, and for detecting structural changes in buildings. It has been noted that, in spite of the very short range, compared with the satellite configuration, in GB-SAR measurement the disturbances due to atmospheric effects cannot be neglected either. The analysis of the interferometric phases of very coherent points, called permanent scatterers (PSs), allows the evaluation of the atmospheric disturbance and the possibility of removing it. In this paper, the PS analysis is carried out both on a test site facility and on a real campaign (Citrin Valley, Italy) that provided data with a temporal baseline of about ten months.

Monitoring of an Alpine Glacier by Means of Ground-Based SAR Interferometry

Spaceborne differential synthetic aperture radar (SAR) interferometry has been proven to be a powerful tool in monitoring environmental phenomena and, in particular, in observing glaciers and retrieving information about their surface topography and dynamics. In the last decade, the use of this technique has been successfully extended from space to ground-based observations as a tool for monitoring, on a smaller scale, single landslides, unstable slopes, and more recently, areas covered by snow but not yet glaciers. In this letter, the results of an experimental activity carried out to evaluate the potential of ground-based microwave interferometry to estimate the velocity of an unstable area belonging to a glacier is reported. This experiment demonstrated the possibility of remotely monitoring surface displacements of the monitored glacier up to a distance of about 3 km even if, due to the lack of ground truths on the observed area, the data interpretation must be carefully worked out.

Monitoring horizontal and vertical surface deformation over a hydrocarbon reservoir by PSInSAR

We study surface deformation monitoring over a hydrocarbon reservoir in the Middle East with permanent scatterer interferometric synthetic aperture radar (PSInSAR). By combining data from two different observation angles, it is possible to disentangle horizontal and vertical deformation of the Earth’s surface. We benchmark the PSInSAR data against an existing GPS network and find good agreement in both vertical and horizontal displacements. In order to relate the surface data to the reservoir, we invert the surface deformations using an analytical geomechanical model and obtain reservoir strain. Assuming linear poroelasticity, we relate the strain to pressure depletion. The areal extent of the reservoir strain is in good agreement with predictions from reservoir simulation. By considering velocity gradient maps, we find intriguing relationships between major faults in the reservoir and the surface data. We conclude that surface deformation monitoring and geomechanical inversion can provide valuable information on dynamic reservoir behaviour.

Advanced InSAR Techniques to Support Landslide Monitoring

Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) uses satellite radar imagery to precisely measure ground deformation. TRE developed advanced techniques, \(\text {PSInSAR}^\mathrm{{TM}}\) and subsequently \(\text {SqueeSAR}^\mathrm{{TM}}\), as a standard monitoring tools in several applications: natural hazards, geothermal, oil and gas, mining, urban and infrastructures monitoring. Thanks to its capability in detecting millimetre level displacements over long periods and large areas, \(\text {SqueeSAR}^\mathrm{{TM}}\) analysis can be considered complementary to conventional geological and geomorphological studies in landslide detection and monitoring. Several Italian Regions were studied with \(\text {SqueeSAR}^\mathrm{{TM}}\) in order to detect and monitor slope instability phenomena. One of the most successfully application was carried out on the whole Valle d’Aosta Region (NW Italy) area. The increasing interest of Italian authorities in the application of \(\text {SqueeSAR}^\mathrm{{TM}}\) resulted in a national project, Piano Straordinario di Telerilevamento (PST), founded by the Ministry of the Environment. The aim of the project was to create the first national-scale database of interferometric information to map unstable areas. \(\text {SqueeSAR}^\mathrm{{TM}}\) analysis is particularly suitable for the study of Deep-seated Gravitational Slope Deformations (DGSD), characterized by large areal extent and surface displacement rate is very low, ranging from few millimeters to tens of millimeters per year.

COSMO SkyMed high frequency - high resolution monitoring of an alpine slow landslide, corvara in Badia, Northern Italy

Located in the Alta Badia Valley, a famous tourist area in the Dolomites of northern Italy, the active Corvara earthslide-earthflow causes damages to critical road infrastructures, as well as ski and other recreational facilities and power lines. The high spatial resolution and the short frequency of revisit time of COSMO-SkyMed system (CSK®), open new opportunities for SAR-based monitoring systems dedicated to natural risks management. The ASI AO funded project “LAWINA” takes advantage from these distinctive features together with non-conventional reflectors, in order to monitor and assess the hazard of such a phenomenon by means of PSI techniques. The particular working context and the complete processing workflow for this specific application, offer opportunity to highlight strengths and weak points of classical approach to PSI and to provides suggestions for an effective use of experimented corners.

Advanced InSAR Technology for Reservoir Monitoring and Reservoir Geomechanical Model Calibration

d measuring the performance of producing hydrocarbon reservoirs, for Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR), Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), Underground Gas Storage (UGS). Mapping surface displacement due to either fluid extraction/injection or fault reactivation, usually requires hundreds of measurement points to be detected per square km with millimetre-level precision, which is both time consuming and expensive to obtain from traditional monitoring techniques but can be readily obtained with InSAR. Moreover, advanced InSAR techniques, such as PSInSAR™ (Ferretti et al. 2001) and SqueeSAR™ (Ferretti et al. 2011), developed over the last decade, are capable of providing millimetre precision (comparable to optical levelling) and a high spatial density of displacement measurements over long periods of time without requiring the installation of equipment or otherwise accessing the study area. SAR measurements can be used to calibrate geo-mechanical models, thus constraining the subsurface deformation related to fluid extraction/injection from underground reservoirs. An example relevant to the Tengiz oil field (Kazakhstan) is briefly presented below.

Application of SqueeSAR™ to the Characterization of Deep Seated Gravitational Slope Deformations: The Berceto Case Study (Parma, Italy)

SqueeSAR™ SAR interferometry is today one of the most advanced technologies for surface deformation monitoring capable of overcoming most of the limitations of conventional differential radar interferometry. It exploits long temporal series of satellite radar data, acquired over the same area of interest at different times, to identify “natural radar targets” where very precise displacement information can be retrieved.

Multi-geometry SAR Interferometry for CO2 sequestration monitoring

Summary It is well established that satellite-based synthetic aperture radar (SAR) interferometry can provide accurate and spatially dense surface deformation measurements. In the InSalah project SAR interferometry has proven effective in monitoring surface deformation induced by CO2 injection. Typically, a single SAR geometry provides a projection of the surface displacement vector along the look vector or line-of-sight (LOS). However, in this paper we highlight the utility of combining SAR data from two or more geometries in order to derive a two-component surface displacement field. We also show how the availability of both vertical and East-West displacement components better constrains an inversion for injection-related deformation improving our understanding of reservoir dynamics.

Monitoring Surface Deformation with Satellite InSAR - A Tool for Time Lapse Analysis of UGS

Underground gas storage in depleted hydrocarbon reservoirs, aquifers or salt caverns can be responsible for surface deformation phenomena. Monitoring surface displacements can support safe reservoir management and provide valuable constraints for modeling the dynamic behavior of a reservoir and help achieve more effective reservoir exploitation with obvious economic benefits. Satellite InSAR represents one of the most valuable and cost-effective techniques, capable of providing high precision and high areal density displacement measurements over long periods of time.

Advanced Satellite InSAR Technology For Fault Analysis And Tectonic Setting Assessment. Application To Reservoir Management And Monitoring.

Hydrocarbon reservoir operation, i.e. fluid extraction and injection, are responsible for volumetric changes of reservoir itself resulting in surface deformation phenomena (subsidence or uplift). This processes are controlled by the tectonic framework which is responsible for reservoir compartmentalization and/or fault reactivation. Monitoring surface deformations can provide valuable constraints for modeling the dynamic behavior of a reservoir and help achieve more effective reservoir exploitation with obvious economic benefits. Advanced satellite interferometry represents one of the most valuable and cost-effective techniques, capable of providing high precision and high areal density displacement measurements over long periods of time.