InSAR Observation for the Surface Displacements at Mt. Etna between 2003 and 2007

Syeda Sabikun Nahar, Arif Mahmud

BGMEA University of Fashion and Technology, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

DOI: 10.4236/ijg.2015.62010                

Abstract

This research is mainly devoted to InSAR observations using Poly-Interferogram Rate and Time-series Estimator (π-rate) software to investigate continuous surface displacement at Mt. Etna (Sicily), Italy between 2003 and 2007. Using ascending and descending SAR images produced by European Space Agency’s ENVISAT, we generate a set of interferograms which are used to determine the deformation history of Etna from 2003 to 2007. Using (π-rate), we can generate the InSAR time-series and ratemap while minimizing errors induced by the satellites orbit and atmospheric phase delays. During the period of 2003-2007, three separate eruptions were observed. In order to explain the deformation, we solve three displacement rate for 2003-2005, 2006 and 2007. As expected, the result suggests that displacement rates are not constant with respect to time. During 2006 the volcano appeared to switch from a period of deflation to a period of inflation. These results highlight the importance of InSAR for generating deformation time-series around Mt. Etna, and with the application of numerical models these results can be used to estimate the amount of magma moving in the subsurface.

Keywords

InSAR, Interferogram, Ratemap, Eruptions, Magma and π-Rate

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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