A brief overview of the 20-year research activity of Mariarosaria Manzo on Differential SAR Interferometry

This work has the objective to introduce the session dedicated to the memory of my colleague and friend Mariarosaria Manzo.

In particular, the session has been inspired by the themes that have characterized Mariarosaria’s 20-year research activity. Indeed, her main scientific contributions have been concentrated on the exploitation of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data for Earth surface deformation retrieval and investigation through the application of the original Differential SAR Interferometry (DInSAR) technique and the development of advanced DInSAR methods focused on the generation of deformation time-series, as for the Small BAseline Subset (SBAS) approach [1].

Therefore, the session is intended to focus on the latest analyses achieved through the development and/or the exploitation of DInSAR methods for Earth observation, as well as on their possible future applications.

Instead, this contribution will provide a brief overview of Mariarosaria’s main findings, achieved through the DInSAR analysis focused on Earth deformations induced by: earthquakes [2-4], volcanic activities [5-7], anthropic actions [8], and on her contribution to the performance assessment of advanced DInSAR techniques [9] and to the development of new algorithmic solutions [10].

But, above all, this work aims to keep the memory alive of Mariarosaria’s intelligence, balance, courage and passion she has always put into everything she did.

 

[1] R. Lanari et al., “An Overview of the Small BAseline Subset Algorithm: A DInSAR Technique for Surface Deformation Analysis,” Wolf, D., Fernández, J. (eds) Deformation and Gravity Change: Indicators of Isostasy, Tectonics, Volcanism, and Climate Change. Pageoph Topical Volumes. Birkhäuser Basel. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7643-8417-3_2, 2007

[2] R. Lanari et al., “Surface displacements associated with the L'Aquila 2009 Mw 6.3 earthquake (central Italy): New evidence from SBAS‐DInSAR time series analysis,” Geophys. Res. Lett. 37 (20), 2010

[3] M. Manzo et al., “A quantitative assessment of DInSAR measurements of interseismic deformation: the southern San Andreas Fault case study,” Pure and Applied Geophysics 69, 1463-1482, 2012

[4] D. Cheloni et al., “Geodetic model of the 2016 Central Italy earthquake sequence inferred from InSAR and GPS data,” Geophys. Res. Lett. 44 (13), 6778-6787, 2017

[5] A. Borgia et al., “Volcanic spreading of Vesuvius, a new paradigm for interpreting its volcanic activity, Geophys. Res. Lett. 32 (3), L03303, 2005

[6] M. Manzo et al., “Surface deformation analysis in the Ischia Island (Italy) based on spaceborne radar interferometry,” Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research 151 (4), 399-416, 2006

[7] P. Tizzani et al., “Surface deformation of Long Valley caldera and Mono Basin, California, investigated with the SBAS-InSAR approach,” Remote Sens. Environ., 108 (3), 277-289, 2007

[8] R. Lanari et al., “Satellite radar interferometry time series analysis of surface deformation for Los Angeles, California,” Geophys. Res. Lett. 31 (23), L23613, 2004

[9] F. Casu et al., “A quantitative assessment of the SBAS algorithm performance for surface deformation retrieval from DInSAR data”, Remote Sens. Environ., doi: 10.1016/j.rse.2006.01.023, 2006

[10] A. Pepe et al., “Improved EMCF-SBAS Processing Chain Based on Advanced Techniques for the Noise-Filtering and Selection of Small Baseline Multi-Look DInSAR Interferograms”, IEEE Trans. Geosci. Remote. Sens., 53 (8), 4394-4417, doi: 10.1109/TGRS.2015.2396875, 2015.