Applications of Sar Interferometry in Terrestrial

Compared to optical sensors the use of radar for earth observation has only just begun. The rst use of radar for this purpose was reported in the sixties. The most important reason to use radar instead of optical sensors is of course its capability to penetrate through clouds and its day and night imaging capabilities. However, radar interferometry might add yet another reason to use radar. Recently it has been shown that with spaceborne Synthetic Aperture Radars height maps can be created with accuracies of 10{20 meters, whereas deformations of the Earth's surface can be measured with sub-centimeter accuracy. Apart from these terrestrial applications, also the high resolution mapping of atmospheric signal delay has been demonstrated. This information becomes available by using interferometric processing techniques of multiple satellite images. Here we will outline the basics of the technique and its potential as well as the limitations.