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SUMMARY We present ground deformation measurements in the Taupo Volcanic Zone (TVZ) using differential interferomeric synthetic aperture radar (DInSAR) observations collected by ALOS PALSAR during 2006-2010, and compare them with displacement observations from continuous GPS. We acquired and processed DInSAR images from two ascending paths (324 and 325) and one descending path (628) covering the TVZ, and produced linear deformation rates and time series of deformation. The DInSAR results were improved by using a modified version of the small baseline subset (SBAS) algorithm that simultaneously solves for deformation rates and residual topographic noise. The accuracy of the DInSAR displacement rates along line-of-sight to the satellite is 0.5-2 cm yr−1 depending on the number of SAR images and their coherence. We found good agreement between the DInSAR-derived displacement rates and those measured by continuous GPS for the two ascending paths (correlation 0.94 ± 0.01 and 0.89 ± 0.02); the DInSAR uncertainties were too large to make a useful comparison for the descending path (correlation 0.66 ± 0.03). We identified ground deformation due to groundwater and steam extraction for geothermal power. To demonstrate the geophysical application, we modelled the deformation results using simplified sources for some of the geothermal signals using ellipsoidal and tabular approximations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We demonstrate here a computer code for calculation of time series and also mean and linear deformation rates from a set of coregistered unwrapped differential interferograms using a linear least-squares inversion technique based on the small baseline subset (SBAS) algorithm. The computer code is written in C and uses a singular value decomposition (SVD) routine from the LAPACK library and the fast Fourier transform for spatial filtering from the FFTW library. Various offset estimation and topographic correction algorithms are implemented, including simultaneous inversion for deformation rates and residual topographic error. This approach is particularly useful when applied to ALOS PALSAR interferograms that are coherent even at large perpendicular baselines and acquired with orbital parameters correlated with the time of acquisition. This methodology is applied to produce time series of ground deformation at Tauhara and Wairakei geothermal fields (Taupo Volcanic Zone, North Island, New Zealand) from 12 ALOS PALSAR images acquired between July 2007 and December 2009. We also present here a high-resolution deformation map of the ground subsidence caused by the extraction of geothermal groundwater for power generation, with maximum rates of subsidence of about 7cm/y. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]