With the global population surpassing 7.8 billion people in 2021, the impacts of human activities on the environment are noticeable almost everywhere on our planet. The consequences of these impacts are still elusive, particularly when trying to quantify them at larger scales. It is essential to trace environmental change from a local to a global scale over several decades. This task is increasingly fulfilled by Earth-observing (EO) satellites, in particular, radar imaging instruments. Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), a cloud-penetrant microwave imaging system, provides unique day-night and all-weather monitoring capabilities. The availablity of repeated SAR acquisitions with similar imaging geometry allows performing interferometric SAR (InSAR) processing. InSAR uses radar to illuminate an area of the Earth's surface and measures the change in distance between satellite and ground surface, as well as the returned signal strength. Such measurements are suitable for generating high-resolution digital elevation models and accurate terrain deformation maps.

Firstly, I will discuss some of the recent advances in modern multitemporal InSAR algorithms. I will present an algorithm that is optimized for processing high spatiotemporal resolution SAR datasets. Next, I will present examples demonstrating the value of high-resolution Radar EO satellite data for mapping surface deformation with implications for relative sea-level rise and flooding hazards. I will report high-resolution vertical land motion measurements along the U.S. coasts obtained from InSAR, spanning 2007-2021. The findings include subsidence rates of up to several millimeters per year affecting different parts of the U.S. West, East, and Gulf coasts. These sets of case studies highlight the importance of EO satellite data for developing management, adaptation, and resilience plans.

Dr. Manoochehr (Manoo) Shirzaei is a geodesist/geophysicist with the Department of Geosciences at Virginia Tech, who has made significant contributions to the field of crustal deformation monitoring and modeling from space. Dr. Shirzaei specializes in space-borne synthetic aperture radar, groundwater hydrogeodesy, seismic and aseismic faulting processes, volcanos, induced seismicity and fracking, and impacts of relative sea-level rise on coastal areas. He has authored over 65 publications in high profile, peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Shirzaei has been a PI and Co-PI on several national-level programs, such as the NASA Earth Surface and Interior, NASA Sea Level Change Science Team, NASA GRACE Satellite Science Team, DOE Office of Basic Science, and NSF Earthcube. He is also a member of the Center for Space Science and Engineering Research and Center for Coastal Studies at Virginia Tech and the planning committee of the Southern California Earthquake Center.

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