Configuring ISCE TOPS stack for small bridge-scale AOI and asc/desc monitoring (Sentinel-1 IW)

[emanueliwanow]

Hi,

I'm working on a long-term InSAR monitoring project for civil assets, mainly bridges (typical length ~500 m), using Sentinel-1 IW data. My processing chain is:

• ISCE: SLC processing / co-registration / interferogram generation (TOPS) (using stackSentinel.py)
• Miaplpy: stack loading + phase linking only
• SARvey: LOS time-series and velocity estimation
• Custom scripts: combine ascending + descending LOS into vertical and horizontal components, and compute Hotelling T² control charts from the resulting time-series.

I'm not fully satisfied with the quality and stability of the LOS time-series over my bridges, and I suspect part of the problem is how I set up the ISCE stack for such a small AOI. I would appreciate some guidance on best practices.

Context

• Sensor: Sentinel-1 IW, both ascending and descending tracks
• AOI: very small polygon around an individual bridge

Ultimately, I want consistent geometry and a clean, stable LOS stack (asc + desc) that I can use for vertical/horizontal decomposition and statistical monitoring.

Questions

1. Consistency across the stack (and between asc/desc)

   For bridge monitoring and asc/desc decomposition, I want very consistent geometry over time:

   • Same bursts and subswaths for all dates within a track
   • Good consistency between ascending and descending stacks

   Are there recommended parameters/settings to:

   • Avoid subtle geometric differences that might affect phase linking and later asc/desc combination?

2. Pointers to examples

   If there are example scripts, configs, or publications that show an ISCE setup for:

   • localized infrastructure (bridges, dams, etc.), or
   • very small AOIs in Sentinel-1 IW, especially when using both asc and desc,

   I would be very grateful for links or references.

I’m happy to provide:

• A sample configuration file,
• One or two SAFE products,
• And log excerpts if that helps.

Thanks a lot for any guidance or best-practice advice you can share.