Mining area subsidence monitoring using multi-band SAR data

In this work, DInSAR technique has been applied to the monitoring of mining induced land subsidence in many areas. In this paper, the DInSAR technique is used to process the space borne SAR data including C band ENVISAT ASAR and L band JERS, PALSAR SAR data to derive the temporal land subsidence information in Fengfeng coal mine area, Hebei province in China. Since JERS do not have precise orbit, an orbit adjustment must be accomplish before the DInSAR interferogram was formed. We designed a images coregistration method based on the imaging geometry of interferometric SAR, and an external DEM. We analyzed 8 differential interferograms derived from JERS SAR, PALSAR, ENVISAT ASAR data. In our analysis, the DInSAR results were compared with leveling data that show high consistency. The characteristics of phase pattern on these C band and L band deformation interferograms were compared; we can notice that in most situations, the obtained deformation pattern on the surface is not the same of L and C band. And at last the feasibility and limitations in mining subsidence monitoring with DInSAR were analyzed. The experimental result shows that both C band and L band can accomplish monitoring mining area subsidence, but C band has more restrict conditions of its perpendicular baseline. In order to get a satisfactory outcome in mining area subsidence by DInSAR method, the time series of SAR images of every visit period and SAR deformation interferograms should be archived.