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The Primary Objectives of the UAVSAR Project are to:

• Develop a miniaturized polarmetric L-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) for use on an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or minimally piloted vehicle
• Develop the associated processing algorithms for repeat-pass differential interferometric measurements
• Conduct measurements of geophysical interest, particularly changes of rapidly deforming surfaces such as volcanoes or earthquakes

The Primary Science Objectives of the UAVSAR Project:

• The geophysical processes associated with natural hazards such as earthquakes and volcanoes occur over a wide range of temporal and spatial scales, and express themselves as subtle deformations in the Earth's crust.
• Present observational capabilities include sampling quickly varying surface change using in situ GPS methods, or observing fine spatial scale changes using interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR).
• Generate fine resolution, accurate observations of crustal deformation resulting from natural hazards at hourly intervals.
• Driven by slow plate motions, rapid injection of magma into the plumbing system of a volcano can lead to explosive eruptions over several hours or even days. Measurements from this system will lead to better models of the internal plumbing and magma flow within a volcano.
• Steady slip along a fault in the crust can lead to sudden, major earthquakes and days of continuing slip. Using measurements from this system, a better understanding and assessment of the rate of slip and rebound surrounding a seismic event can be obtained.
• Additional science studies include rapidly moving glaciers and volumetric decorrelation studies in ice and vegetation.