Using Sentinel-1A DInSAR interferometry and Landsat 8 data for monitoring water level changes in two lakes in Crete, Greece

Differential Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (DInSAR) methodology has been successfully employed to detect water level changes and produce corresponding water level variation maps. In this study, Agia and Kournas lakes, located in Western Crete, Greece, were used as pilot areas to monitor water level change with means of SAR interferometry and auxiliary Earth Observation (EO) data. The water level variation was monitored for the period 2015–2016, using Sentinel-1A imageries and corresponding stage water level data. Landsat 8 data were additionally used to study vegetation regime and surface water extent and how these parameters affect interferograms performance. The results highlighted the fact that the combination of SAR backscattering intensity and unwrapped phase can provide additional insight into hydrological studies. The overall analysis of both interferometric characteristics and backscattering mechanism denoted their potential in enhancing the reliability of the water-level retrieval scheme and optimizing the capture of hydrological patterns spatial distribution.