Landslide displacement mapping based on ALOS-2/PALSAR-2 data using image correlation techniques and SAR interferometry: application to the Hell-Bourg landslide (Salazie Circle, La Reunion Island)

In the study described here, the capability of space-borne high-resolution L-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images (ALOS-2/PALSAR2 data in StripMap SM1 mode) for deriving and mapping two components of the deformation of slow landslides has been investigated. The deformation characterization was carried out on the basis of sub-pixel correlation offset tracking techniques and differential SAR interferometry. On the Hell-Bourg landslide (located on La Reunion Island, with displacements up to about 1 m/year), the deformation maps produced performed significantly better than the C-band or lower-resolution SAR data used in previous studies. A comparison was carried out with Global Navigation Satellite System data acquired on the test site. Even with a reduced image set (seven acquisitions), detailed deformation maps and information on deformation evolution during 2014-2016 could be generated. The combination of L-band data and high resolution was the source of the improved performance provided by this new kind of data.