Mapping the planet’s ups and downs

Researchers at the University of Glasgow are using a new technique known as interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) to predict natural disasters around the world and manage their impact. InSAR scans the Earth from space looking for points that are prone to surface changes and monitor their movement over time. It is hoped that the technology will play a considerable role in predicting where natural disasters such as volcanic eruptions and landslides may take place and help save lives. Led by Dr Zhenhong Li at the University of Glasgow's School of Geographical and Earth Sciences, the team are looking at the surface of our planet from space and using satellites to track changes in the Earth's surface that may otherwise be unnoticeable. PhD student, Andrew Singleton, said: "We take one radar image taken at a certain time, and then a few days later we take a second radar image. Between those two time periods we can detect elevation changes in the Earth's surface. "Obviously that has many applications for earthquakes and volcanoes.