Earth-Based Repeat-Pass SAR Interferometry of the Moon: Spatial-Temporal Baseline Analysis

Earth-based repeat-pass synthetic aperture radar (SAR) interferometry (InSAR) is a powerful tool to obtain the high-precision lunar terrain and deformation information, due to the short revisit period as well as the all-weather, long-time, and large-coverage characteristics of radar lunar observation. In this article, the baseline formation mechanism is investigated. Theoretical analyses show that the interferometric baselines mainly come from the lunar libration; however, the lunar libration may also result in a significant change of baselines and further lead to serious geometric decorrelation. To address this problem and ensure the Earth-based repeat-pass InSAR of the Moon, the precise relative motion model between the radar and the lunar target, considering lunar libration, is established, and the subradar point (SRP) wagging phenomenon is analyzed. Then, to evaluate the effects of SRP wagging on InSAR coherence, a geometric decorrelation model based on azimuth angle and incident angle is proposed. Based on that, the spatial-temporal baseline for Earth-based repeat-pass InSAR of the Moon is analyzed based on numerical simulation. Results show that the temporal baseline has obvious periodicity with a cycle of about 27 days. When the temporal baseline is an integral multiple of 27, the spatial baseline usually has the minimum value and the geometric decorrelation effect is relatively slight. Moreover, using the geometric decorrelation criteria, we examine the effects of radar frequency, position, and target location on the quantity of viable interferometric pairs, which has guiding significance for the selection of radar system parameters, radar position, and lunar target area.

Automated summary

This article investigates the baseline formation mechanism of Earth-based repeat-pass synthetic aperture radar (SAR) interferometry of the Moon and proposes a precise relative motion model considering lunar libration. Additionally, the effects of subradar point (SRP) wagging on InSAR coherence are analyzed.