The use of IFSAR and classical geodetic techniques for caldera unrest episodes: application to the Campi Flegrei uplift event of 2000

Campi Flegrei caldera has a long history of large surface deformation, with displacements of several meters in the 1970s and early 1980s. Its location within a densely populated urban area underscores the importance of understanding the relationship between large and episodic deformation events and their source mechanisms. The primary observable of the caldera’s activity is its surface deformation. Classical geodetic approaches such as leveling, have been complemented by the more advanced measurements of the Global Positioning System (GPS) and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) interferometry. In this work we focus on the Campi Flegrei caldera uplift event that occurred from early spring to late summer 2000. Our goal is to highlight the potential to integrate interferometric SAR (IFSAR), GPS, and classical leveling data for ground deformation studies and source modeling. We compare models for the deformation source constrained by inversion of the differential IFSAR data (DIFSAR) with the model’s prediction for the GPS and leveling data. Resolution of possible changes in the source mechanism for Campi Flegrei caldera are limited by differences in the temporal, spatial and deformation component strengths of each data set. In the future, overcoming these data deficiencies will be important for resolving the dynamics of volcano systems and for volcanic hazard mitigation.