VALIDATING THE EUROPEAN GROUND MOTION SERVICE: AN ASSESSMENT OF MEASUREMENT POINT DENSITY

Abstract

The European Ground Motion Service (EGMS) is an operational data service that uses interferometric analysis of Sentinel-1 radar images to provide high-resolution monitoring of ground deformation. The service is the first continental ground motion public dataset that is open and available for various applications and studies. This paper presents the validation workflow of the EGMS product in terms of spatial coverage and density of measurement points. The study employs open land cover data to evaluate the density per class and proposes statistical parameters associated with the data processing and timeseries estimation to ensure consistency across different selected sites.The validation process involves twelve selected sites across Europe, representing the four processing entities, covering both rural and urban areas. The paper highlights the importance of ensuring completeness and consistency of the EGMS product for its effective use, along with pointwise quality measures critical in assessing the quality of the EGMS point timeseries results. Additionally, the paper discusses the challenges faced during the pre-processing of the data from EGMS and presents a custom algorithm designed to eliminate biases in the data. As an open and freely available dataset, the EGMS will provide valuable resources for further research and applications, enabling better understanding and management of geohazards, environmental monitoring, and urban planning.