The contribution of InSAR Data to the Early Detection of Potentially Hazardous Active Rock Glaciers in Mountain Areas

Analysis of InSAR data permits the systematic detection of mass wasting phenomena in mountain areas, particularly rock glaciers. ERS 1-day and 3-day InSAR scenes have been used successfully to evidence the occurrence of rapidly moving rock glaciers (> 2-3 m/year). The availability of InSAR data with short time lag – what is still no more the case since a decade ago – has proven to be an important tool for the assessment of natural hazards in mountain permafrost areas.