Measuring displacement field from TerraSAR-X amplitude images by subpixel correlation: An application to the landslide in Shuping, Three Gorges Area

It is believed that the weight of water is likely to lead to an increasing frequency of landslide. In theory, land slippage prior to landslide should be observable using sub-pixel correlation of SAR amplitude image. The launch of the German TerraSAR-X, with high resolution (1 similar to 3m) and better wavelength stability ( X-band), offers a unique opportunity to study this region as the dam was completed. This paper focuses on measurement of landslide in Shuping area along the south riverbank of Yangtze River not far away from the dam. TerraSAR-X amplitude images are correlated to calculate the deformation field of the landslide which occurred in 2009 and reveal its evolution over time. The result illustrates that this method can be used to calculate the displacement field of the landslide and detect the slight movement before the severe slippage, offering a potential means to monitoring and forecasting landslide in Three Gorges Area.