ANALYSIS OF VERTICAL MOVEMENTS DETECTED BY RADAR INTERFEROMETRY IN URBAN AREAS

Persistent Scatterer Interferometry (PSI), a remote sensing technique, is used for detecting surface deformation in the cities of Prague and Ostrava. PSI is able to detect vertical movements with an accuracy of less than 1 mm for a long time series of the SAR data, but the maximum detectable rate of movement is only a few centimetres per year. This technique is quite suitable for detecting recent movements in most Prague localities. On the other hand, in Ostrava and its surroundings, affected by undermining, where subsidences (1992-2006) amount to decimetres per year, movements cannot be fully detected by the PSInSAR technique. The paper presents results of analysing PSI data for two localities in Prague and one locality in the Ostrava areas. The localities are strictly situated in built-up areas with many suitable reflectors. Data from the ERS-1/2 and ENVISAT satellites covering a 13-year period for the Prague (1992-2005) and a 14-year period for the Ostrava (1992-2006) area were used. Annual movement velocities and time-series of reflectors were determined. At these three localities, where different types of movements were identified, the application and possible limitations of PSI in urban areas are shown.