Analysis of the terrain displacement along a funicular by SAR interferometry

An analysis of the terrain displacement along a funicular in Switzerland was performed by satellite synthetic aperture radar interferometry using ERS-1/2 data. An initial interferometric point target analysis was performed with images acquired before 1999 and excluding all winter acquisitions with snow cover. The line-of-sight profile of the displacement rate along the funicular shows maximum values of about 1.5 cm/year, with negligible displacements near the lower and upper stations. After the spring of 1999, when displacements of several decimeters occurred because of heavy rainfall, the analysis was continued with single interferograms on the previously identified point targets. With a series of interferograms with large baselines the displacement could be analyzed in 1999 and 2000 along parts of the funicular.