Benchmarked RADARSAT-2, SENTINEL-1 and RADARSAT Constellation Mission Change-Detection Monitoring at North Slide, Thompson River Valley, British Columbia: ensuring a Landslide-Resilient National Railway Network

Abstract

In this research note, we demonstrate the applicability of interferometric analyses (InSAR) of RADARSAT 2 (RS2), SENTINEL 1 (S1) and RADARSAT Constellation Mission (RCM) datasets to characterize and monitor landslides along a high-risk section of the national railway transportation corridor traversing the Thompson River valley, British Columbia. As a geomorphically active landform, the North Slide is an ideal case study for field-testing and evaluating slope change-detection monitoring incorporating satellite, aerial and ground-based geospatial technologies. RS2, S1 and RCM InSAR datasets provide valuable baseline spatial and temporal information on movement of the landslide near critical railway infrastructure when benchmarked with real-time kinematic (RTK) global navigation satellite system (GNSS) measurements, uninhabited aerial vehicle (UAV) photogrammetry, bathymetric soundings, and ground observations. We demonstrate that monitoring unstable slopes and infrastructure at risk with multiple high spatial- and temporal-resolution satellite SAR platforms is a cost-effective natural hazard management practice that also provides important geoscience information to help develop appropriate mitigation and climate adaptation measures.