Landslide Detection Using DInSAR Technique: A Case Study

This work aimed to utilize the capabilities of the Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) technique to assess the slope instability condition in part of Himachal Pradesh, India. India is one of the countries to report the largest number of landslide events, especially in the monsoon season. The Himalayan regions in India are prone to heavy precipitation (rainfall) which loosens the soil and causes slope displacement. This study involves the rain-induced (pre and post-event) landslide study to detect the magnitude of ground deformation in Bariara village in district Kangra, Himachal Pradesh, India. In this study, the microwave repeat pass Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) technique was used for deducing the slope deformations. Two SAR imageries were used to detect the phase difference for developing the deformation map showing a downslope movement of almost 1.5 m. The results from the interferometric method have been cross-validated by data collected from the field survey. This study aimed to find the absolute rate of movement of a Himalayan landslide using the DInSAR method and has effectively added to the landslide literature for extensive future research in this study area.