Detection and accuracy of landslide movement by InSAR analysis using PALSAR-2 data

Interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) analysis is a radar technique for generating large-area maps of ground deformation using differences in the phase of microwaves returning to a satellite. In recent years, high-resolution SAR sensors have been developed that enable small-scale slope deformation to be detected, such as the partial block movement of a landslide. The L-band SAR (PALSAR-2) is mounted on Advanced Land Observing Satellite-2 (ALOS-2), which was launched on 24 Mar. 2014. Its main improvements compared with ALOS are enhanced resolution of as high as 3 m with a high-frequency recurrence period (14 days). Owing to its high resolution and the use of the L-band, PALSAR-2 can obtain reflective data passing through a tree canopy surface, unlike the other synthetic aperture radars. Therefore, the coherence of InSAR in mountainous forest areas is less likely to decrease, making it advantageous for the extraction of slope movement. In this study, to verify the accuracy of InSAR analysis using PALSAR-2 data, we compared the results of InSAR analysis and the measurement of the displacement in a landslide by global navigation satellite system (GNSS) observation. It was found that the average difference between the displacements obtained by InSAR analysis and the field measurements by GNSS was only 15.1 mm in the slant range direction, indicating the high accuracy of InSAR analysis. Many of the areas detected by InSAR analysis corresponded to the locations of surface changes due to landslide activity. Additionally, in the areas detected by InSAR analysis using multiple datasets, the ground changes due to landslide movement were confirmed by site investigation.