Surface deformation study of La Palma Island using C-Band radar imagery and GNSS data

We present new results on the deformation field for La Palma Island in the Canary Archipelago using A-DInSAR analysis of C-Band SAR images from ENVISAT and ERS-2 satellites for a six-year period between years 2004 and 2010. The recent volcanic activity registered in La Palma (with seven eruptions in ca. A.D. 1480, 1585, 1646, 1677, 1712, 1949 and 1971) and the absence of any geodetic monitoring system implemented in the Island at the 90’s converts A-DInSAR studies in an basic information source for the study of surface displacements. From late 90’s several geodetic studies using GNSS, gravimetry and InSAR techniques has been carried out in the island (see Fernández et al., 2015 for a summary). In this study we updated previous radar satellite results by increasing the temporal coverage up to 2010 and and using a recently developed A-DInSAR processing technique which includes an error estimation for the LOS mean velocity and deformation time series (“Subsidence” software, developed by the “Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, see e.g., Blanco-Sánchez et al., 2008, and Centolanza, 2015). Our A-DInSAR results are compared with previous InSAR ones and with GNSS results obtained from campaigns. A discussion and geological interpretation of the results is also presented. Radar images have been provided by ESA through Cat.-1 13933 project.

REFERENCES
Blanco-sánchez, P., Mallorquí, J. J., Duque, S., and Monells, D. (2008), The Coherent Pixels Technique (CPT): An Advanced DInSAR Technique for Nonlinear Deformation Monitoring, Pure Applied Geophysics, 165, 6, 1167–1193.
Centolanza, G. (2015), Quality Evaluation of Dinsar Results from the Phase Statistical Analysis. Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya.
Fernández, J., P.J. González, A. G. Camacho, J.F. Prieto, G. Bru, 2015. Volcano geodetic research in the Canary Islands: A summary of results and perspectives. Pure and applied geophysics, 172/11, 3189-3228. DOI: 10.1007/s00024-014-0916-6.