Techniques and Applications of Spaceborne Time-series InSAR in Urban Dynamic Monitoring

The dynamic monitoring of the geological environment in urban areas, including the monitoring of the urban surface stability and detailed monitoring of man-made objects on the surface, is very important for ensuring effective and safe urban development. Spaceborne time-series InSAR technology is widely used to monitor urban deformation due to its large scale, high accuracy, and ability to acquire high-density spatial deformations. In recent years, with the operation of high-resolution satellite missions, time-series InSAR has also been widely used to monitor infrastructures. In this paper based on our long-term monitoring research experience in urban areas using the time-series InSAR technique, we review the application of some typical time-series-InSAR cases to the urban environment, including the monitoring of urban surface displacement and typical large infrastructures, including the airports, elevated road networks, bridges, railways, and subways. Based on various datasets including high-resolution TerraSAR-X images, Cosmo-SkyMed images, and recent Sentinel-1 images obtained at no cost, and the research problems and corresponding solutions identified in published monitoring research, we found good results to have been achieved using this application. With the implementation of more and more satellite missions, this technology will provide more possibilities for urban monitoring.