Learning More About InSAR

There are many resources available for those who want to learn more about SAR data and InSAR processing. The list below includes helpful websites, papers, and textbooks, but is by no means a comprehensive list.

SAR & InSAR Concepts

Since the SAR field has been in development for decades, there is a wide variety of literature concerning every aspect of SAR data collection, processing, and results from InSAR analyses.

NASA Earthdata has an overview page for SAR (with more resources at the bottom of the page): https://earthdata.nasa.gov/learn/backgrounders/what-is-sar

In depth (all the nitty gritty details) Handbook on InSAR processing from the European Space Agency: http://www.esa.int/About_Us/ESA_Publications/InSAR_Principles_Guidelines_for_SAR_Interferometry_Processing_and_Interpretation_br_ESA_TM-19

Remote Sensing Concepts

If you’ve never taken or participated in a remote sensing class, it is often helpful to begin with reviewing the essentials of remote sensing particulars:

Natural Resources Canada provides a detailed review of remote sensing principles in their online materials (both html and pdf available): https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/maps-tools-publications/satellite-imagery-air-photos/tutorial-fundamentals-remote-sensing/9309

NASA has a great (and shorter) web-based overview of the most important remote sensing concepts on their Earthdata website: https://earthdata.nasa.gov/learn/backgrounders/remote-sensing

NASA also provides training courses for remote sensing applications through their Applied Remote Sensing Training program (ARSET) that are open to all – there is a “Fundamentals of Remote Sensing” course, as well as a variety of use-specific trainings (some courses are also available in Spanish): https://appliedsciences.nasa.gov/what-we-do/capacity-building/arset

Review Style Journal Articles

Bürgmann, R., Rosen, P., Fielding, E. (2000). Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry to Measure Earth’s Surface Topography and Its Deformation. Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences, 28, 169 - 209, https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.earth.28.1.169

Rosen, P.A., Hensley, S., Joughin, I.R., Li, F.K., Madsen, S.N., Rodriguez, E., and Goldstein, R.M. (2000). Synthetic aperture radar interferometry. Proceedings of the IEEE, 88(3), 333-382, https://doi.org/10.1109/5.838084

Biggs, J. & Wright, T.J. (2020). How satellite InSAR has grown from opportunistic science to routine monitoring over the last decade. Nature Communications, 11, 3863(2020), https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-17587-6

Take a Short Course

Interested in learning how to process InSAR data yourself? Check out UNAVCO (now EarthScope Consortium | SAGE/GAGE Facilities) short courses for the GMTSAR processing course in order to learn to how to use GMTSAR software through group instruction.