Terrain characterisation of Heard, McDonald and Macquarie Islands using multi-frequency Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) data

Multi-frequency Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) data demonstrates significant potential for generating high-resolution Digital Elevation Models (DEMs), detecting coastlines, and mapping land cover in remote and cloud-affected regions like the UNESCO-listed Heard and McDonald Islands. This study highlights that X- and L-band SAR data differ in their capacity to extract elevation information, with implications for terrain characterization. By comparing newly generated DEMs with existing models derived from NASA JPL TOPSAR and RADARSAT-1 data, researchers found that InSAR provides valuable insights into surface dynamics and land cover changes. This approach is particularly advantageous for Antarctic studies, where traditional remote sensing methods face limitations due to persistent cloud cover.

Mitchell, A. L., Ng, A. H.-M., Yu, J. H., & Ge, L. (2011). Terrain characterisation of Heard, McDonald and Macquarie Islands using multi-frequency Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) data. 2011 IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium, 2877–2880. https://doi.org/10.1109/igarss.2011.6049815