PROJECT ABSTRACT

InSAR

This site provides mostly nontechnical information about InSAR, an exciting new remote-sensing technique used to study, among other things, volcanoes and earthquakes. InSAR stands for Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar. Satellites record images of the Earth's surface, and these images can be combined to show subtle movements of the ground surface, called deformation.

InSAR is a proven technique for mapping ground deformation using radar images from Earth-orbiting satellites. InSAR greatly extends the ability of scientists to monitor volcanoes because, unlike other techniques that rely on measurements at a few points, InSAR produces a spatially complete map of ground deformation with centimeter-scale accuracy without subjecting field crews to hazardous conditions on the ground. This project combines InSAR results with those from other geodetic techniques including the Global Positioning System (GPS), borehole sensors such as dilatometers and tiltmeters, and precise leveling to characterize ground deformation at volcanoes in space and time. The resulting data help to constrain models of the causes of volcanic unrest, which in turn aids in the assessment of short-term volcano hazards. More detail can be found by checking out the InSAR Fact Sheet: Monitoring Ground Deformation from Space by Rosalind L. Helz.

The Research Group

Learn more about InSAR.

Other methods for monitoring ground deformation:
EDM | Tiltmeters | GPS

What's new?

Research:

New pages have been added to tell you a little more about each InSAR Group Member! Find links to them here.

Also:
• InSAR Fact Sheet: Monitoring Ground Deformation from Space by Rosalind L. Helz and Figures from the Fact Sheet
• Current update of Mt. St. Helens activity.
• Mt. St. Helens is at Alert Level ADVISORY; Aviation Color Code YELLOW. (Click here for info on these levels.)
• Extended research information can be found at the InSAR Research Results page.

Website:

• Check out the new personal pages for each InSAR Group Member.
• Email the Webmaster with any comments you want to share about the website.