Understanding Mountain-Wave Phases in ERS Tandem DInSAR Interferogram Using WRF Model Simulation

• Published in: IEEE transactions on geoscience and remote sensing Vol. 56; no. 5; pp. 2762 - 2771
• Main Authors: Yun, Ye, Zeng, Qiming, Lv, Xiaolei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York IEEE 01.05.2018; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Atmospheric correction; Atmospheric modeling; Atmospheric water; Atmospheric waves; Computer simulation; Deformation; Deformation mechanisms; Delays; differential synthetic aperture radar interferometry (DInSAR); Image acquisition; Interferometry; mountain wave; SAR (radar); Signal delay; Spatial variations; Strain; Synthetic aperture radar; Water vapor; Water vapour; Wave phase; Weather forecasting; weather research and forecasting (WRF)
• ISSN: 0196-2892; 1558-0644
• DOI: 10.1109/TGRS.2017.2782684

Repeat-pass spaceborne differential synthetic aperture radar interferometry (DInSAR) is commonly used to measure surface deformation. However, the phase delay due to the atmospheric water vapor has a significant influence on the accuracy of DInSAR results. On the other hand, the signal delay in DInSAR can give the spatial variation information of water vapor during the two image acquisitions. There are some ripple-like phase signals in DInSAR, which are probably due to the mountain wave in the study area. In this paper, the weather research and forecasting (WRF) model is used to simulate the atmospheric delay and compared to the phase delay derived from DInSAR results to understand the mountain-wave phases in interferograms. The results indicate that the ripple-like phase signal in the DInSAR phase is due to different intensities of the mountain wave in two acquisitions. The WRF model can be used to explain the mechanism of mountain-wave phase in DInSAR, which may then, hopefully, be used for DInSAR atmospheric correction.