A fast solution for downloading and converting the EGMS data: EGMStream webapp

The European Ground Motion Service (EGMS), part of the Copernicus program, provides free, pan-European Sentinel-1 InSAR (Interferometric Satellite Aperture Radar) products to support ground deformation analysis at continental scales. Despite its potential, managing the large volume of EGMS data can be challenging, especially for non-expert users. To address these challenges, the EGMStream webapp was developed aimed at enhancing the download and conversion of EGMS products. Built in Python and JavaScript, the webapp improves the first EGMStream stand-alone tool enhancing its accessibility, functionality and performance. By leveraging server-side processing through Docker containers, the webapp avoids the need for software installation and reliance on user personal computer performance, enabling efficient handling of large datasets with parallel processing. The EGMStream webapp allows for automatic downloading and conversion of EGMS data into different formats, i.e. Shapefile, GeoPackage, and GeoJSON. Users interact with a simple, user-friendly interface to upload a text (.txt) file from the EGMS Explorer, containing links to bursts (for L2, LoS and calibrated, data) and/or tiles (for L3, ortho, data) of EGMS data for their area of interest. In addition, users can upload a specific area of interest to crop data on it and they can also customize data conversion, such as including time series and selecting the output format. At the end of the process, users will receive an email with a link to download processed data. In contrast with the format downloadable by the EGMS Explorer (.csv format), the outputs of the EGMStream webapp conversion allow a simpler inclusion and management in GIS environmental or WebGIS platforms.

The webapp allows for reaching a wider audience to use the EGMS data, improving the dissemination and usability of ground motion data for urban planning, natural hazard monitoring, and environmental management. Future enhancements will focus on integrating advanced analysis tools, real-time visualization capabilities, and in-app post-processing features. These developments aim to meet the increasing needs of the geospatial and geological communities, ensuring the platform’s adaptability to emerging challenges.