9706427 Isacks One of the newest and most exciting methods of detecting displacements is through selected aperture radar (SAR) interferometry. This method has been used selectively to identify small displacements over relatively large areas by comparing 'scenes' of the same area made at different times. Displacements of the land surface between the times of the images can then be identified by difference. One of the problems that arises in the method in interference from variable atmospheric conditions. This proposal will explore the application of SAR to an arid region near the Chile-Peru border, where the climate is unusually constant and arid, and where major earthquakes are predicted within the next few years. The results of this study will contribute to the development of the technique, and to an understanding of interseismic strain an a convergent plate boundary region.
