Andrea Manconi

Recent advances on satellite geodesy have boosted our capabilities to map and monitor landslides globally with unprecedented resolutions. In this scenario, differential interferometry of space borne synthetic aperture radar imagery (DInSAR) plays a major role in identifying surface displacements associated to slope instabilities and in monitoring their spatial and temporal evolution. However, this technique involves a number of constraints to consider when approaching systematic and/or operational monitoring of landslides. The main focus of this technical note is on the effects of DInSAR temporal phase aliasing when analyzing accelerating slope deformation in alpine scenarios. First, a general framework considering the currently available satellites for DInSAR investigations is postulated. Secondly, a specific example of a recently accelerating slope deformation is discussed. The goal of this work is to provide insights to scientists and practitioners on the application of multitemporal space borne DInSAR in systematic and/or automatic monitoring frameworks, potentially involving early warning applications both at local slopes and/or regional scales.