Application of the SBAS-DInSAR technique to fault creep: a case study of the Hayward fault, California

We present a quantitative assessment of the capability of the differential SAR interferometry (DInSAR) technique referred to as Small BAseline Subset (SBAS) approach to investigate fault creep phenomena. In particular we have computed, via the SBAS-DInSAR algorithm, time series of the surface displacements relevant to the Hayward fault zone, within the San Francisco Bay Area (California), from the European Space Agency's ERS-1/2 satellite radar data for the 1992 to 2000 time period. Starting from the DInSAR time series we measured the relative displacements across the fault with no need for any atmospheric filtering step. These results have been systematically compared to the measurements available from the alignment arrays that are located along the fault. Our analysis shows that the standard deviation of the differences between the DInSAR and the in situ measurements is on the order of 2 mm. Moreover, the estimated mean deformation rates have an accuracy that is better than 1 mm/year.