Search NASASearch

Engineering topics

Rosen, P. A.

Publications and source records attributed to Rosen, P. A..

Surface Ruptures and Building Damage of the 2003 Bam, Iran, Earthquake Mapped by Satellite Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometric Correlation

We use the interferometric correlation from Envisat synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images to map the details of the surface ruptures related to the 26 December 2003 earthquake that devastated Bam, Iran. The main strike-slip fault rupture south of the city of Bam has a series of four segments with left steps shown by a narrow line of low correlation in the coseismic interferogram. This also has a clear expression in the field because of the net extension across the fault. Just south of the city limits, the surface strain becomes distributed over a width of about 500 m, probably because of a thicker layer of soft sedimentary material.

Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR)

The 2003 Bam (Iran) earthquake: Rupture of a blind strike-slip fault

A magnitude 6.5 earthquake devastated the town of Bam in southeast Iran on 26 December 2003. Surface displacements and decorrelation effects, mapped using Envisat radar data, reveal that over 2 m of slip occurred at depth on a fault that had not previously been identified. It is common for earthquakes to occur on blind faults which, despite their name, usually produce long-term surface effects by which their existence may be recognised. However, in this case there is a complete absence of morphological features associated with the seismogenic fault that destroyed Bam.

earthquakes blind faults Bam Envisat radar remote

Decimeter-Wavelength Polarimetric Radar Imaging of the Icy Moons of Jupiter

Imaging radars with wavelengths in the range of 10 cm to 1 m can deeply penetrate the surface of an icy body, revealing details of the geomorphology, local structure, and electrical properties of the upper layers. Radar studies of icy surfaces on Earth have used the polarization state of backscatter echoes at multiple frequencies to characterize the surface and subsurface properties of glaciers, showing relatively smooth surfaces on the scale of radar wave-lengths, and subsurface scattering from volume scatterers consistent with ice pipes and lenses. These volume scattering effects are evident in enhanced polarization ratios over a limited range of backscatter incidence angles. The Galilean satellites exhibit similarly enhanced polarization ratios and volumetric scattering effects, but the observations are limited in angular resolution, leading to ambiguity in interpreting the scattering mechanisms and their structural implications.

Rosen, P. A.

Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry

Synthetic aperture radar interferometry is an imaging technique for measuring the topography of a surface, its changes over time, and other changes in the detailed characteristics of the surface. This paper reviews the techniques of interferometry, systems and limitations, and applications in a rapidly growing area of science and engineering.

remote sensing SAR Synthetic Aperture Radar interf

Phase Unwrapping Techniques for SRTM

The Shuttle Radar Topographic Mission will map 80% of the Earth land mass topography with one arc-sec (30 meter) posting using a 60 meter baseline radar interferometer.

SRTM

Phase-Preserving ScanSAR Image Generation

The scan mode synthetic aperture radar (ScanSAR) image impluse response is derived in the time-domain and particular attention is given to the analysis of the phase, which is important for several applications, and especially in interferometric ScanSAR systems.

synthetic aperture radar algorithm

Surface Deformation Due to the May 27, 1995 Sakhalin Earthquake and Related Events Measured by JERS-1 SAR Interferometry

A large (M&subw;=7.0) earthquake on May 27, 1995 completely destroyed the town of Neftegorsk in the northern part of Sakhalin Island and caused more than 2000 human deaths. The shallow, right-lateral, strick-slip earthquake resulted in extensive surface ruptures and up to 7 m of horizontal displacement as reported by field workers. The sourthern part of the mainshock epicenter zone was imaged by the JERS-1 SAR (synthetic aperature radar) one month (April 28) before and two weeks after (June 11) the mainshock. Despite drastically changed surface conditions in the 44 days between the two images, due primarily to spring thaw, we obtained reasonably good interferometric correlation with the L-band (24 cm) SAR pair. The interoferogram records the distribution of deformation reflecting displacement during both the mainshock and aftershocks. The ability to map the deformation pattern can aid the assessment and mitigation of damage.

Sakhalin Island JERS-1

Surface Deformation and Coherence Measurements of Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii, from SIR-C Radar Interferometry

The shuttle imaging radar C/X synthetic aperture radar (SIR-C/X-SAR) radar on board the space shuttle Endeavor imaged Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii, in April and October 1994 for the purpose of measuring active surface deformation by the methods of repeat-pass differential radar interferometry. Observations at 24 cm (L band) and 5.6 cm (C band) wavelengths were reduced to interferograms showing apparent surface deformation over the 6-month interval and over a succession of 1-day intervals in October. A statistically significant local phase signature in the 6-month interferogram is coincident with the Pu'u O'o lava vent. Interpreted as deformation, the signal implies centimeter-scale deflation in an area several kilometers wide surrounding the vent. Peak deflation is roughly 14 cm if the deformation is purely vertical, centered southward of the Pu'u O'o caldera. Delays in the radar signal phase induced by atmospheric refractivity anomalies introduce spurious apparent deformation signatures, at the level of 12 cm peak-to-peak in the radar line-of-sight direction. Though the phase observations are suggestive of the wide-area deformation measured by Global Positioning System (GPS) methods, the atmospheric effects are large enough to limit the interpretation of the result. It is difficult to characterize centimeter-scale deformations spatially distributed over tens of kilometers using differential interferometry without supporting simultaneous, spatially distributed measurements of reactivity along the radar line of sight. Studies of the interferometric correlation of images acquired at different times show that L band is far superior to C band in the vegetated areas, even when the observations are separated by only 1 day. These results imply longer wavelength instruments are more appropriate for studying surfaces by repeat-pass observations.

Rosen, P. A.