Synthetic aperture radar for structural mapping and landslide risk assessment
Loading...
Date
2025-08
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of New Brunswick
Abstract
In 2019, Canada launched the RADARSAT Constellation Mission (RCM). This constellation is comprised of three functionally identical synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites. On board each satellite is a SAR sensor equipped with the first ever operational compact polarization (CP) architecture. This dissertation focuses on the assessment of this CP mode, and the use of traditional SAR for structural mapping and geohazard risk assessment.
Results presented herein provide the first assessment of both simulated and real CP data, in comparison to full polarimetry (FP) and circular polarimetry, for surficial lineament mapping. Comparisons of the different polarization architectures were made based on their ability to extract inferred faults related to linear shorelines, linear escarpments, and those that were manually identified over the Manicouagan impact crater in Québec, Canada. In agreement with prior assessments of CP for other applications, this dissertation shows that CP remains complementary to FP. CP does not outperform FP but rather can provide similar information.
To extend the use of SAR for the structural mapping of the Manicouagan structure, a second study was employed where the use of traditional SAR, integrated with satellite optical and terrain information, was explored for the creation of a lineament map. This map was centered on Manicouagan and covered an area close to 100,000 km2. It was constructed through the development of a semi-automated, iteratively executed, line-linking algorithm. A comparison of this map with published maps of faults, folds, and lineaments yielded an overlap of 45% (~5,000 km). The constructed map assisted in the identification of Manicouagan’s impact related morphometry, including its polygonal shorelines, concentric and radial faults, central uplift, and an outer ring.
The last study in this dissertation focused on the use of traditional SAR for geohazard risk assessment. The widely used interferometric SAR (InSAR) technique was applied over the tropical island of Dominica. Using deformation maps and time series analysis, strategies for integrating this information into landslide susceptibility and landslide inventory mapping were developed during this study. Kinematic dynamics of slope failure and an observation on the impact of soil type and slope gradient are also presented.