On the use of C- and X- band SAR data for studying the ground deformations induced by April 6th earthquake in Abruzzo

In the study both DInSAR and PSI techniques have been used to generate co-seismic and post-seismic deformation patterns for the Mw=6.3 earthquake which struck the Abruzzo region in Italy on April 6th, 2009. In particular, we used SAR data acquired in C band (wavelength of 5.6 cm) by the European Space Agency (ESA) ENVISAT satellite, and X band (wavelength of 3.1 cm) by the Italian Space Agency (ASI) constellation COSMO-SkyMed (CSK) as well as by the German Space Agency (DLR) TerraSAR-X (TSX). Concerning the co-seismic deformation, is has been studied by processing, through standard DInSAR technique, SAR data with different values of wavelength, spatial resolution as well as incident angles. A comparative analysis of interferometric fringe patterns is presented. Due to the low deformation rate involved, the study of post-seismic events requires the use of a multi-temporal InSAR approach. Thanks to the availability of a stacks of ascending CSK acquisitions, ad hoc programmed by ASI on the area stricken by the earthquake, it was possible to infer post-seismic deformation map through SPINUA PSI-like InSAR analysis. A first validation of these results is also presented.