InSAR Labratory Web Page

The InSAR lab was established in 2003 with a research grant from NASA titled "Development and Transfer of InSAR and GPS Applications to Local Government in Nevada: Groundwater Management and Subsidence Mitigation"

Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) Research Grant 13-02017

InSAR Laboratory



What is InSAR? Interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) is a rapidly evolving remote sensing technology that uses C-band (5.6 cm wavelength) satellite radar data collected since 1992 to measure sub-centimeter-scale ground movement, most commonly in surface deformation studies related to earthquakes, volcanoes, and groundwater-related land subsidence. Two radar scenes each covering about 10,000 km² and taken at different times are closely compared for small changes in radar phase of the waves reflected from fixed objects that have moved on the ground. The small shifts in radar phase can be measured with a pixel resolution of about 10 m, allowing deformation patterns to be detected over large regions with a high degree of spatial detail. InSAR lab research facilities The lab is equipped with a full range of computing hardware and software dedicated exclusively to InSAR processing, including multiple Linux, Unix, and PC workstation platforms. The lab can routinely process InSAR data using any of three software packages: DIAPASON developed by the French Space Agency (CNES); ROI_PAC developed by the NASA Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL); and GAMMA developed by Gamma Remote Sensing. Staff John W. Bell, Research Professor (email jbell@unr.edu) Ron Hess, Geospatial Data Specialist Kurt Katzenstein, Ph.D. student Edmund Baffoe-Twum, M.S. student Collaborators Falk Amelung Noel Gourmelen RSMAS, University of Miami Alessandro Ferretti Tele-Rilevamento Europa, Milano, Italy Gary Oppliger DGS, University of Nevada, Reno

click image to enlarge Unwrapped interferogram for period Feb 1998 to Feb 1999 showing deformation (subsidence) associated with the 1999 Frenchman Flat earthquake (M 4.8), Nevada Test Site	click image to enlarge Wrapped interferogram of Las Vegas Valley for period Jan 2003 to Jan 2004 showing subsidence in the Northwest bowl and at Nellis AFB and uplift due to artificial recharge
click image to enlarge Wrapped interferogram of Crescent Valley for the period Sept 1996 to May 1999 showing subsidence associated with open-pit de-watering at the Cortez-Pipeline Gold Mine
Current Projects Subsidence and earth fissuring due to heavy pumping in Pahrump Valley Aquifer system response to heavy pumping on municipal wells in the Virgin Valley (Mesquite) Reconnaissance InSAR study of eastern Nevada groundwater basins designated for potential groundwater export to Las Vegas Valley Hydrostratigraphy and InSAR study of the Kelly Creek Basin-Pumpernickel Valley area, funded by Newmont Gold Mining Corporation InSAR study of the aquifer system response to mine de-watering in the Boulder Valley area, funded by Barrick Goldstrike Mining Corporation InSAR study of subsidence and earthquakes in the Yucca Mountain-Amargosa Valley-Ash Meadows-Death Valley region Earthquakes and groundwater subsidence detected by InSAR in the Reno-Carson City-Lake Tahoe area, funded by the US Geological Survey Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program