An improved atmospheric correction method in repeat-pass InSAR measurements

ABSTRACTAs is well known, the problem of atmospheric phase delays is currently one of the major limitations to high precision repeat-pass interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) applications. Therefore, accurately mitigating atmospheric phase delays is a key but unresolved problem. In recent decades, many researchers have attempted to mitigate the atmospheric phase delays. A typical method is to calculate the atmospheric phase along radar line of sight direction using precipitable water vapour products. However, this method completely neglects the atmospheric turbulence and heterogeneity in the horizontal direction when the zenith wet delays are converted to slant wet delays, reducing the accuracy of the approach. In this article, we systematically analysed the atmospheric turbulence and heterogeneity in the horizontal direction as well as the vertical stratification of water vapour in the troposphere. From this analysis, we found that the atmospheric turbulence and heterogeneity in the horizonta...