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Detailed motion of Earth's crust - accurate to mm/year

  1. Aug 6, 2004 #1


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    Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) interferometry (InSAR) has been used to make detailed crustal movement images, showing relative displacements of as small as a few millimetres per year, according to this Envisat ESA PR. Although the PR talks about using InSAR for monitoring seismic zones and volcanos, I wonder if it could also be used for other Earth studies. For example, combined with GRACE results, to better characterise the nature of gravity anomolies? to test some of the alternative theories to GR (such as SCC)?

    Perhaps the same technology could be deployed on a Venus, Mars, or Io mission, to determine the extent of any crustal movements? :approve:
  2. jcsd
  3. Aug 7, 2004 #2
    Amazing, the current airborne SAR's give a highest resolution in spot mode only of some 4 inches (10 cm) ROM whilst satellite SAR resolution under two feet (half a meter) is unheard of. I wonder about detecting techniques of changes in mm. It seems like grabbing a needle with boxing gloves.

    Yes Venus would be a good target. There are still 5 unanswered hypotheses about the tectonics on Venus.

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