Towards Imaging Geodesy - Achieving Centimetre Pixel Localization Accuracy with TerraSAR-X

In our paper we demonstrate, how to achieve centimetre level pixel localization accuracy with TerraSAR-X. This accuracy - two orders of magnitude better than comparable systems – requires careful calibration of the ra-dar system, the compensation propagation delays and of geodetic effects. Achieving this accuracy, high resolu-tion imaging SAR systems are now able to support satellite geodesy with 2-dimensional displacement maps. We present the major error sources, our compensation method and verify our results with several experiments using image correlation technique and corner reflectors. We further present recent results on the magnitude 7.0 earth-quake in Haiti on January 12, 2010