Relationships between InSAR Seismic Deformation and Fault Motion Sense, Fault Strike, and Ascending/Descending Modes

Based on the working principle of satellite radars, the earthquake deformation field measured by interferometric synthetic aperture (InSAR) is the projection of ground displacement associated with the seismogenic fault in the line of sight (LOS) of the satellite. However, LOS projections are complex, and are not only related to the ascending/descending modes and incidence angles of SAR data, but also related to the strike and motion senses of the fault. Even for the same earthquake, the LOS deformation derived from different ascending/descending data can be almost identical in one case, but quite different in another case, which makes the interpretation of InSAR seismic deformation and its comparison with field observations difficult. In this study, we undertook a quantitative analysis of the relationships between LOS observation sensitivity of InSAR and fault strike, fault motion sense, and ascending/descending modes, as well as 3D deformation fields. We studied the features and differences of the LOS deformation fields in different types of earthquakes using ascending/descending modes, with a particularly detailed analysis of the relations for a strike-slip type of earthquake. We also summarized the characteristics of LOS deformation fields of faults with different strikes and optimal observational data modes. Taking the strike-slip Yushu earthquake and the normal Gaize event as examples, we used SAR data of the ascending/descending modes to verify the results of quantitative calculations. These analyses will not only provide a more reasonable interpretation of InSAR seismic deformation fields and but also help understand the differences of seismic deformation fields revealed by data with different observational modes, therefore promoting the application of InSAR technology in seismology.