Using GPS as a reference frame for SAR images applied to a post eruptive period for Okmok Volcano, Aleutian Islands, Alaska

Abstract

While high spatial coverage makes InSAR a popular tool to study active volcanoes its use can possess challenges for certain environments. Volcanoes along Alaska's Aleutian chain are difficult targets for InSAR as their seasonal snow cover causes decorrelation close to the volcanic caldera, their exposed location in the North Pacific renders them prone to severe atmospheric phase artifacts, and their location on small islands prevents the selection of suitable reference points necessary for deformation analysis. Existing GPS networks define a known reference frame in which SAR is better understood. Okmok volcano is one of the most active volcanoes in the Aleutian Island Chain and shows significant non-linear deformation behavior as it progresses through its eruption cycles. A stack of L-band imagery acquired by the SAR sensor PALSAR on board the JAXA Advanced Land Observing Satellite produced a post eruption deformation time series between August 2008 and October 2010. This data along with a merged DEM comprised of AirSAR SRTM and Worldview-1 stereo pair data, and GPS data from 3 continuous and 3 post eruption campaign sites was used for this study. In this research, a comparison and combination of InSAR and GPS time-series data will be presented aimed at the following research goals: 1) What is the accuracy and precision of InSAR-derived deformation estimates in such challenging environments; 2) How accurate can the deformation of the InSAR reference point be estimated from a joint analysis of InSAR and GPS deformation signals; 3) How non-linear volcanic deformation can be constrained by the measurements of a local GPS network and support the identification of residual atmospheric signals in InSAR-derived deformation time series. Further research into the combination of GPS and InSAR applied to the nonlinear aspect of volcanic deformation can enhance geodetic modeling of the volcano and associated eruption processes.