Abstract
Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) is a powerful tool to detect and monitor ground deformation. It has been widely used to study deformation processes caused by tectonic (e.g. earthquakes, volcanoes) and non-tectonic (e.g. sinkholes, city subsidence) processes using phase differences between two acquisitions over the same area. However, there are several limitations for InSAR method. Tropospheric phase delay is currently the major source of error in InSAR. This study explores the detection limits of InSAR and quantifies the effect of tropospheric delay on In-SAR time series products, such as velocity fields, using simulation of tropospheric delay approach (Chapter 3) and, works towards the characterization of interseismic deformation patterns of the Ganos Fault in northwestern Turkey (Chapter 4). The detection threshold estimates are carried out by statistically analyzing histograms of simulated tropospheric delay time series. The results of our case study indicate that 1 mm/yr detection threshold can be achieved with a 5 years or longer data set. Interseismic deformation characteristics of the Ganos Fault is studied by using InSAR data from ALOS-PALSAR satellite between 2007 and 2011. InSAR derived velocity field and dislocation models are used to invert for slip rate and locking depth parameters. Along and across strike variations of slip rate and locking depth parameters and along and across strike variations of locking depth and slip rate parameters are documented with high spatial resolution. The slip rate is estimated is to vary between 10 and 15 mm/yr and the locking depth is estimated to vary between 2000 and 5000 meters. Localized aseismic surface creep at 500 to 600 meters depth with 3 to 4 mm/yr creep rate is observed in the western section of the Ganos Fault.