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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Nigel Penna
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
Continuously operating Global Navigation Satellite Systems (cGNSS) can be used to convert relative values of vertical land motion (VLM) derived from Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) to absolute values in a global or regional reference frame. Artificial trihedral corner reflectors (CRs) provide high-intensity and temporally stable reflections in SAR time series imagery, more so than naturally occurring permanent scatterers. Therefore, it is logical to co-locate CRs with cGNSS as ground-based geodetic infrastructure for the integrated monitoring of VLM. We describe the practical considerations for such co-locations using four case-study examples from Perth, Australia. After basic initial considerations such as land access, sky visibility and security, temporary test deployments of co-located CRs with cGNSS should be analysed together to determine site suitability. Signal to clutter ratios from SAR imagery are used to determine potential sites for placement of the CR. A significant concern is whether the co-location of a deliberately designed reflecting object generates unwanted multipath (reflected signals) in the cGNSS data. To mitigate against this, we located CRs >30 m from the cGNSS with no inter-visibility. Daily RMS values of the zero-difference ionosphere-free carrier-phase residuals, and ellipsoidal heights from static precise point positioning GNSS processing at each co-located site were then used to ascertain that the CR did not generate unwanted cGNSS multipath. These steps form a set of recommendations for the installation of such geodetic ground-infrastructure, which may be of use to others wishing to establish integrated InSAR-cGNSS monitoring of VLM elsewhere.
Author(s): Parker AL, Featherstone WE, Penna NT, Filmer MS, Garthwaite MC
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Sensors
Year: 2017
Volume: 17
Issue: 8
Online publication date: 31/07/2017
Acceptance date: 29/07/2017
Date deposited: 15/08/2017
ISSN (electronic): 1424-8220
Publisher: MDPI
URL: https://doi.org/10.3390/s17081753
DOI: 10.3390/s17081753
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