EGMS: from space measurements to deformation interpretation and analysis

Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Interferometry has been established as one of the most widely used techniques to observe surface deformation, providing an accuracy of the order of mm. Over the years various interferometric methodologies have been developed to identify and monitor active phenomena taking place on the Earth's surface. Nowadays, Sentinel-1 Persistent Scatterer Interferometry (PSI) data archives have been generated, making large time-series of surface deformation available to the public. Despite this great advantage of ease of access, there is still not much research evaluating or explaining the physical meaning of such spaceborne measurements. In light of this, the current study focuses on analyzing the deformation patterns derived from European Ground Motion Service (EGMS) in order to correlate them with natural processes/phenomena or human activities taking place in a given area. Hence, EGMS measurements covering well-known deforming areas in the Region of Western Greece were collected and analyzed taking into account field data. The results demonstrated that there are PSI patterns strongly related to the actual processes; however, the use of such PSI observations requires deep under-standing and knowledge of deformation processes due to the fact that visual inspection can lead to erroneous estimates.