Deployment of an all-in-one millimetre-wave anechoic chamber

This paper describes the new anechoic chamber available at The University of Kent, UK. This facility includes a spherical near/far field, planar near field, cylindrical near field and a compact range. The facility allows measurement from 600 MHz up to 110 MHz. The spherical, planar and cylindrical ranges covers up to 40 GHz and the compact range is available from 50 GHz up to 110 MHz. Immediate plans are to use the new facility to measure body-centric antennas and sensing nodes together with near field sampling of finite sized Frequency Selective Surfaces.

New device for continuous-wave THz emission: large area emitter

We discuss two different approaches to overcome the power limitations of CW THz generation imposed to conventional photomixers. The increase in power achievable by using arrays of AEs is studied. Then ?large area emitters? are proposed as an alternate approach to overcome the power limitations. In this antenna-free new scheme of photomixing, the THz radiation originates directly from the acceleration of photo-induced charge carriers generated within a large semiconductor area. The quasi-continuous distribution of emitting elements corresponds to a high-density array and results in particularly favorable radiation profiles.

Broadband active differential array for the mid-frequency SKA band

This paper presents the design and characterization process of an active array demonstrator for the mid-frequency range (i.e., 300 MHz-1000 MHz) of the future Square Kilometre Array (SKA) radio telescope. This demonstrator, called FIDA3 (FG-IGN: Fundación General Instituto Geográfico Nacional - Differential Active Antenna Array), is part of the Spanish contribution for the SKA project. The main advantages provided by this design include the use of a dielectric-free structure, and the use of a fully-differential receiver in which differential low-noise amplifiers (LNAs) are directly connected to the balanced tapered-slot antennas (TSAs). First, the radiating structure and the differential low-noise amplifiers were separately designed and measured, obtaining good results (antenna elements with low voltage standing-wave ratios, array scanning capabilities up to 45°, and noise temperatures better than 52 K with low-noise amplifiers at room temperature). The potential problems due to the differential nature of the proposed solution are discussed, so some effective methods to overcome such limitations are proposed. Second, the complete active antenna array receiving system was assembled, and a 1 m2 active antenna array tile was characterized.

Accurate characterization of multi-resonant reflectarray cells by artificial neural networks

This paper describes the accurate characterization of the reflection coefficients of a multilayered reflectarray element by means of artificial neural networks. The procedure has been tested with different RA elements related to actual specifications. Up to 9 parameters were considered and the complete reflection coefficient matrix was accurately obtained, including cross polar reflection coefficients. Results show a good agreement between simulations carried out by the Method of Moments and the ANN model outputs at RA element level, as well as with performances of the complete RA antenna designed.

Novel dual-band single circular polarization antenna feeding network for satellite communications

In this paper a novel dual-band single circular polarization antenna feeding network for satellite communications is presented. The novel antenna feed chain1 is composed of two elements or subsystems, namely a diplexer and a bi-phase polarizer. In comparison with the classic topology based on an orthomode transducer and a dual-band polarizer, the proposed feed chain presents several advantages, such as compactness, modular design of the different components, broadband operation and versatility in the subsystems interconnection. The design procedure of this new antenna feed configuration is explained. Different examples of antenna feeding networks at 20/30 GHz are presented. It is pointed out the excellent results obtained in terms of isolation and axial ratio.

A Transportable Reflectarray Antenna for Satellite Ku-band Emergency Communications

The design of a Ku-band reconfigurable reflectarray antenna for emergency satellite communications is presented. Bidirectional high data rate satellite links are needed in emergency conditions where other telecommunication infrastructures are not available. In order to operate in this type of scenario, an antenna should be deployable, transportable, and easily repointable. The need of an automatic and fast satellite location and pointing system leads to a completely electronic reconfigurable antenna. The operative bandwidth is from 10.7 to 12.5 GHz for reception and from 14 up to 14.5 GHz for transmission (30% of relative bandwidth). The selected antenna architecture is based on a dual reflectarray system comprising a passive subreflectarray and an active main reflectarray made of reconfigurable 1-bit elementary cells based on PIN diodes.

Design of broadband transmitarray unit cells with comparative study of different numbers of layers

A generalized methodology to design low-profile transmitarray (TA) antennas made of several stacked layers with nonresonant printed phasing elements is presented. A study of the unit cell bandwidth, phase-shift range and tolerances has been conducted considering different numbers of layers. A structure with three metalized layers with capacitive and inductive elements enabling a phase range of nearly 360° and low insertion loss is introduced. A study of the four-layer structure shows improvement in the performance of the unit cells in terms of bandwidth from 2% to more than 20% and a complete phase coverage. Implementations on a flexible substrate of TAs with progressive phase shift operating at 19 GHz are used for validation.

A source reconstruction technique for planar arrays of wide slots

A method to reconstruct the excitation coefficients of wide-slot arrays from near-field data is presented. The plane wave spectrum (PWS) is used for reconstruction, and the shape of the field distribution on a wide slot is considered in the calculation of the PWS. The proposed algorithm is validated through the reconstruction of the excitation coefficients of a wide-slot array with element failures from the simulated nearfield data. The element failures are clearly located by the proposed algorithm

Mutual coupling reduction using EBG in steering antennas

In this letter, a dual circular polarized steering antenna for satellite communications in X-band is presented. This antenna consists of printed elements grouped in an array, able to work from 7.25 up to 8.4 GHz in both polarizations: left-handed circular polarization (LHCP) and right-handed circular polarization (RHCP). The module antenna is compact, with narrow beamwidth, and reaches a gain of 16 dBi. It has the capability to steer in elevation to and electronically with a Butler matrix. In order to reduce the mutual coupling between adjacent patches, electromagnetic band-gap (EBG) structures are introduced. These EBGs combine double-layer and edge location via in order to reduce the size, without changing the low-permittivity substrate, and therefore maintaining the high radiation efficiency of the antenna.

Calibration proposal for new antenna array architectures and technologies for space communications

In large antenna arrays with a large number of antenna elements, the required number of measurements for the characterization of the antenna array is very demanding in cost and time. This letter presents a new offline calibration process for active antenna arrays that reduces the number of measurements by subarray-level characterization. This letter embraces measurements, characterization, and calibration as a global procedure assessing about the most adequate calibration technique and computing of compensation matrices. The procedure has been fully validated with measurements of a 45-element triangular panel array designed for Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite tracking that compensates the degradation due to gain and phase imbalances and mutual coupling.

A Novel Method for Radio Propagation Simulation Based on Automatic 3D Environment Reconstruction

In this paper, a novel method to simulate radio propagation is presented. The method consists of two steps: automatic 3D scenario reconstruction and propagation modeling. For 3D reconstruction, a machine learning algorithm is adopted and improved to automatically recognize objects in pictures taken from target regions, and 3D models are generated based on the recognized objects. The propagation model employs a ray tracing algorithm to compute signal strength for each point on the constructed 3D map. Our proposition reduces, or even eliminates, infrastructure cost and human efforts during the construction of realistic 3D scenes used in radio propagation modeling. In addition, the results obtained from our propagation model proves to be both accurate and efficient

Expectations from EMET and OESEE ground listening of possible EM events generated by the TSS 1R

On 22nd February '96, the space mission STS 75 started ,from the NASA facilities at Cape Canaveral. Such a mission consists in the launch of the shuttle Columbia in order to carry out two experiments in the space: the TSS 1R (Tethered Satellite Sistem 1 Refliight) and the USMP (United States Microgravity Payload). The TSS 1R is a replica of a similar mission TSS 1 '92. The TSS space programme is a bilateral scientific cooperation between the USA space agency NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Agency) and the ASI (Italian Space Agency. The TSS 1R system consists on the shuttle Columbia which deploys, up-ward, by means a conducting tether 20 km long, a spherical satellite (1.5 mt diameter) containing scientific instrumentation. This system, orbiting at about 300 km from the Earth's surface, represents, presently, the largest experimental space structure, Due to its dimensions, flexibility and conducting properties of the tether, the system interacts, in a quite complex manner, wih the earth magnetic field and the ionospheric plasma, in a way that the total system behaves as an electromagnetic radiating antenna as well as an electric power generator. Twelve scientific experiments have been assessed by US and Italian scientists in order to study the electro dynamic behaviour of the structure orbiting in the ionos phere. Two experiments have been prepared in the attempt to receive on the Earth's surface possible electromagnetic events radiated by the TSS 1R. The project EMET (Electro Magnetic Emissions from Tether),USA and the project OESEE (Observations on the Earth Surface of Electromagnetic Emissions) Italy, consist in a coordinated programme of passive detection of such possible EM emissions. This detection will supply the verification of some thoretical hypotheses on the electrodynamic interactions between the orbiting system, the Earth's magnetic field and the ionospheric plasma with two principal aims as the technological assesment of the system concept as well as a deeper knowledge of the ionosphere properties for future space applications. A theoretical model that keeps the peculiarities of tether emissionsis being developed for signal prediction at constant tether current. As a step previous to the calculation of the expected ground signal , the Alfven-wave signature left by the tether far back in the ionosphere has been determined. The scientific expectations from the combined effort to measure the entity of those perturbations will be outlined taking in to account the used ground track sensor systems.

Effect of Stress Level on the High Temperature Deformation and Fracture Mechanisms of Ti-45Al-2Nb-2Mn-0.8 vol. pct TiB2: An In Situ Experimental Study

The effect of the applied stress on the deformation and crack nucleation and propagation mechanisms of a c-TiAl intermetallic alloy (Ti-45Al-2Nb-2Mn (at. pct)-0.8 vol. pct TiB2) was examined by means of in situ tensile (constant strain rate) and tensile-creep (constant load) experiments performed at 973 K (700 �C) using a scanning electron microscope. Colony boundary cracking developed during the secondary stage in creep tests at 300 and 400 MPa and during the tertiary stage of the creep tests performed at higher stresses. Colony boundary cracking was also observed in the constant strain rate tensile test. Interlamellar ledges were only found during the tensile-creep tests at high stresses (r>400 MPa) and during the constant strain rate tensile test. Quantitative measurements of the nature of the crack propagation path along secondary cracks and along the primary crack indicated that colony boundaries were preferential sites for crack propagation under all the conditions investigated. The frequency of interlamellar cracking increased with stress, but this fracture mechanism was always of secondary importance. Translamellar cracking was only observed along the primary crack.

Contribución a la caracterización espacial de canales con sistemas MIMO-OFDM en la banda de 2,45 Ghz

La tecnología de múltiples antenas ha evolucionado para dar soporte a los actuales y futuros sistemas de comunicaciones inalámbricas en su afán por proporcionar la calidad de señal y las altas tasas de transmisión que demandan los nuevos servicios de voz, datos y multimedia. Sin embargo, es fundamental comprender las características espaciales del canal radio, ya que son las características del propio canal lo que limita en gran medida las prestaciones de los sistemas de comunicación actuales. Por ello surge la necesidad de estudiar la estructura espacial del canal de propagación para poder diseñar, evaluar e implementar de forma más eficiente tecnologías multiantena en los actuales y futuros sistemas de comunicación inalámbrica. Las tecnologías multiantena denominadas antenas inteligentes y MIMO han generado un gran interés en el área de comunicaciones inalámbricas, por ejemplo los sistemas de telefonía celular o más recientemente en las redes WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network), principalmente por la mejora que proporcionan en la calidad de las señales y en la tasa de transmisión de datos, respectivamente. Las ventajas de estas tecnologías se fundamentan en el uso de la dimensión espacial para obtener ganancia por diversidad espacial, como ya sucediera con las tecnologías FDMA (Frequency Division Multiplexing Access), TDMA (Time Division Multiplexing Access) y CDMA (Code Division Multiplexing Access) para obtener diversidad en las dimensiones de frecuencia, tiempo y código, respectivamente. Esta Tesis se centra en estudiar las características espaciales del canal con sistemas de múltiples antenas mediante la estimación de los perfiles de ángulos de llegada (DoA, Direction-of- Arrival) considerando esquemas de diversidad en espacio, polarización y frecuencia. Como primer paso se realiza una revisión de los sistemas con antenas inteligentes y los sistemas MIMO, describiendo con detalle la base matemática que sustenta las prestaciones ofrecidas por estos sistemas. Posteriormente se aportan distintos estudios sobre la estimación de los perfiles de DoA de canales radio con sistemas multiantena evaluando distintos aspectos de antenas, algoritmos de estimación, esquemas de polarización, campo lejano y campo cercano de las fuentes. Así mismo, se presenta un prototipo de medida MIMO-OFDM-SPAA3D en la banda ISM (Industrial, Scientific and Medical) de 2,45 Ghz, el cual está preparado para caracterizar experimentalmente el rendimiento de los sistemas MIMO, y para caracterizar espacialmente canales de propagación, considerando los esquemas de diversidad espacial, por polarización y frecuencia. Los estudios aportados se describen a continuación. Los sistemas de antenas inteligentes dependen en gran medida de la posición de los usuarios. Estos sistemas están equipados con arrays de antenas, los cuales aportan la diversidad espacial necesaria para obtener una representación espacial fidedigna del canal radio a través de los perfiles de DoA (DoA, Direction-of-Arrival) y por tanto, la posición de las fuentes de señal. Sin embargo, los errores de fabricación de arrays así como ciertos parámetros de señal conlleva un efecto negativo en las prestaciones de estos sistemas. Por ello se plantea un modelo de señal parametrizado que permite estudiar la influencia que tienen estos factores sobre los errores de estimación de DoA, tanto en acimut como en elevación, utilizando los algoritmos de estimación de DOA más conocidos en la literatura. A partir de las curvas de error, se pueden obtener parámetros de diseño para sistemas de localización basados en arrays. En un segundo estudio se evalúan esquemas de diversidad por polarización con los sistemas multiantena para mejorar la estimación de los perfiles de DoA en canales que presentan pérdidas por despolarización. Para ello se desarrolla un modelo de señal en array con sensibilidad de polarización que toma en cuenta el campo electromagnético de ondas planas. Se realizan simulaciones MC del modelo para estudiar el efecto de la orientación de la polarización como el número de polarizaciones usadas en el transmisor como en el receptor sobre la precisión en la estimación de los perfiles de DoA observados en el receptor. Además, se presentan los perfiles DoA obtenidos en escenarios quasiestáticos de interior con un prototipo de medida MIMO 4x4 de banda estrecha en la banda de 2,45 GHz, los cuales muestran gran fidelidad con el escenario real. Para la obtención de los perfiles DoA se propone un método basado en arrays virtuales, validado con los datos de simulación y los datos experimentales. Con relación a la localización 3D de fuentes en campo cercano (zona de Fresnel), se presenta un tercer estudio para obtener con gran exactitud la estructura espacial del canal de propagación en entornos de interior controlados (en cámara anecóica) utilizando arrays virtuales. El estudio analiza la influencia del tamaño del array y el diagrama de radiación en la estimación de los parámetros de localización proponiendo, para ello, un modelo de señal basado en un vector de enfoque de onda esférico (SWSV). Al aumentar el número de antenas del array se consigue reducir el error RMS de estimación y mejorar sustancialmente la representación espacial del canal. La estimación de los parámetros de localización se lleva a cabo con un nuevo método de búsqueda multinivel adaptativo, propuesto con el fin de reducir drásticamente el tiempo de procesado que demandan otros algoritmos multivariable basados en subespacios, como el MUSIC, a costa de incrementar los requisitos de memoria. Las simulaciones del modelo arrojan resultados que son validados con resultados experimentales y comparados con el límite de Cramer Rao en términos del error cuadrático medio. La compensación del diagrama de radiación acerca sustancialmente la exactitud de estimación de la distancia al límite de Cramer Rao. Finalmente, es igual de importante la evaluación teórica como experimental de las prestaciones de los sistemas MIMO-OFDM. Por ello, se presenta el diseño e implementación de un prototipo de medida MIMO-OFDM-SPAA3D autocalibrado con sistema de posicionamiento de antena automático en la banda de 2,45 Ghz con capacidad para evaluar la capacidad de los sistemas MIMO. Además, tiene la capacidad de caracterizar espacialmente canales MIMO, incorporando para ello una etapa de autocalibración para medir la respuesta en frecuencia de los transmisores y receptores de RF, y así poder caracterizar la respuesta de fase del canal con mayor precisión. Este sistema incorpora un posicionador de antena automático 3D (SPAA3D) basado en un scanner con 3 brazos mecánicos sobre los que se desplaza un posicionador de antena de forma independiente, controlado desde un PC. Este posicionador permite obtener una gran cantidad de mediciones del canal en regiones locales, lo cual favorece la caracterización estadística de los parámetros del sistema MIMO. Con este prototipo se realizan varias campañas de medida para evaluar el canal MIMO en términos de capacidad comparando 2 esquemas de polarización y tomando en cuenta la diversidad en frecuencia aportada por la modulación OFDM en distintos escenarios. ABSTRACT Multiple-antennas technologies have been evolved to be the support of the actual and future wireless communication systems in its way to provide the high quality and high data rates required by new data, voice and data services. However, it is important to understand the behavior of the spatial characteristics of the radio channel, since the channel by itself limits the performance of the actual wireless communications systems. This drawback raises the need to understand the spatial structure of the propagation channel in order to design, assess, and develop more efficient multiantenna technologies for the actual and future wireless communications systems. Multiantenna technologies such as ‘Smart Antennas’ and MIMO systems have generated great interest in the field of wireless communications, i.e. cellular communications systems and more recently WLAN (Wireless Local Area Networks), mainly because the higher quality and the high data rate they are able to provide. Their technological benefits are based on the exploitation of the spatial diversity provided by the use of multiple antennas as happened in the past with some multiaccess technologies such as FDMA (Frequency Division Multiplexing Access), TDMA (Time Division Multiplexing Access), and CDMA (Code Division Multiplexing Access), which give diversity in the domains of frequency, time and code, respectively. This Thesis is mainly focus to study the spatial channel characteristics using schemes of multiple antennas considering several diversity schemes such as space, polarization, and frequency. The spatial characteristics will be study in terms of the direction-of-arrival profiles viewed at the receiver side of the radio link. The first step is to do a review of the smart antennas and MIMO systems technologies highlighting their advantages and drawbacks from a mathematical point of view. In the second step, a set of studies concerning the spatial characterization of the radio channel through the DoA profiles are addressed. The performance of several DoA estimation methods is assessed considering several aspects regarding antenna array structure, polarization diversity, and far-field and near-field conditions. Most of the results of these studies come from simulations of data models and measurements with real multiantena prototypes. In the same way, having understand the importance of validate the theoretical data models with experimental results, a 2,4 GHz MIMO-OFDM-SPAA2D prototype is presented. This prototype is intended for evaluating MIMO-OFDM capacity in indoor and outdoor scenarios, characterize the spatial structure of radio channels, assess several diversity schemes such as polarization, space, and frequency diversity, among others aspects. The studies reported are briefly described below. As is stated in Chapter two, the determination of user position is a fundamental task to be resolved for the smart antenna systems. As these systems are equipped with antenna arrays, they can provide the enough spatial diversity to accurately draw the spatial characterization of the radio channel through the DoA profiles, and therefore the source location. However, certain real implementation factors related to antenna errors, signals, and receivers will certainly reduce the performance of such direction finding systems. In that sense, a parameterized narrowband signal model is proposed to evaluate the influence of these factors in the location parameter estimation through extensive MC simulations. The results obtained from several DoA algorithms may be useful to extract some parameter design for directing finding systems based on arrays. The second study goes through the importance that polarization schemes can have for estimating far-field DoA profiles in radio channels, particularly for scenarios that may introduce polarization losses. For this purpose, a narrowband signal model with polarization sensibility is developed to conduct an analysis of several polarization schemes at transmitter (TX) and receiver (RX) through extensive MC simulations. In addition, spatial characterization of quasistatic indoor scenarios is also carried out using a 2.45 GHz MIMO prototype equipped with single and dual-polarized antennas. A good agreement between the measured DoA profiles with the propagation scenario is achieved. The theoretical and experimental evaluation of polarization schemes is performed using virtual arrays. In that case, a DoA estimation method is proposed based on adding an phase reference to properly track the DoA, which shows good results. In the third study, the special case of near-field source localization with virtual arrays is addressed. Most of DoA estimation algorithms are focused in far-field source localization where the radiated wavefronts are assume to be planar waves at the receive array. However, when source are located close to the array, the assumption of plane waves is no longer valid as the wavefronts exhibit a spherical behavior along the array. Thus, a faster and effective method of azimuth, elevation angles-of-arrival, and range estimation for near-field sources is proposed. The efficacy of the proposed method is evaluated with simulation and validated with measurements collected from a measurement campaign carried out in a controlled propagation environment, i.e. anechoic chamber. Moreover, the performance of the method is assessed in terms of the RMSE for several array sizes, several source positions, and taking into account the effect of radiation pattern. In general, better results are obtained with larger array and larger source distances. The effect of the antennas is included in the data model leading to more accurate results, particularly for range rather than for angle estimation. Moreover, a new multivariable searching method based on the MUSIC algorithm, called MUSA (multilevel MUSIC-based algorithm), is presented. This method is proposed to estimate the 3D location parameters in a faster way than other multivariable algorithms, such as MUSIC algorithm, at the cost of increasing the memory size. Finally, in the last chapter, a MIMO-OFDM-SPAA3D prototype is presented to experimentally evaluate different MIMO schemes regarding antennas, polarization, and frequency in different indoor and outdoor scenarios. The prototype has been developed on a Software-Defined Radio (SDR) platform. It allows taking measurements where future wireless systems will be developed. The novelty of this prototype is concerning the following 2 subsystems. The first one is the tridimensional (3D) antenna positioning system (SPAA3D) based on three linear scanners which is developed for making automatic testing possible reducing errors of the antenna array positioning. A set of software has been developed for research works such as MIMO channel characterization, MIMO capacity, OFDM synchronization, and so on. The second subsystem is the RF autocalibration module at the TX and RX. This subsystem allows to properly tracking the spatial structure of indoor and outdoor channels in terms of DoA profiles. Some results are draw regarding performance of MIMO-OFDM systems with different polarization schemes and different propagation environments.

Métodos diferenciales e interferométricos para la evaluación de deformaciones de la corteza terrestre mediante técnicas GNSS e InSAR = Differential and interferometric methods for evaluation of crustal deformation using GNSS and InSAR techniques

La actividad volcánica interviene en multitud de facetas de la propia actividad humana, no siempre negativas. Sin embargo, son más los motivos de peligrosidad y riesgo que incitan al estudio de la actividad volcánica. Existen razones de seguridad que inciden en el mantenimiento del seguimiento y monitorización de la actividad volcánica para garantizar la vida y la seguridad de los asentamientos antrópicos en las proximidades de los edificios volcánicos. En esta tesis se define e implementa un sistema de monitorización de movimientos de la corteza en las islas de Tenerife y La Palma, donde el impacto social que representa un aumento o variación de la actividad volcánica en las islas es muy severo. Aparte de la alta densidad demográfica del Archipiélago, esta población aumenta significativamente, en diferentes periodos a lo largo del año, debido a la actividad turística que representa la mayor fuente de ingresos de las islas. La población y los centros turísticos se diseminan predominantemente a lo largo de las costas y también a lo largo de los flancos de los edificios volcánicos. Quizá el mantenimiento de estas estructuras sociales y socio-económicas son los motivos más importantes que justifican una monitorización de la actividad volcánica en las Islas Canarias. Recientemente se ha venido trabajando cada vez más en el intento de predecir la actividad volcánica utilizando los nuevos sistemas de monitorización geodésica, puesto que la actividad volcánica se manifiesta anteriormente por deformación de la corteza terrestre y cambios en la fuerza de la gravedad en la zona donde más tarde se registran eventos volcánicos. Los nuevos dispositivos y sensores que se han desarrollado en los últimos años en materias como la geodesia, la observación de la Tierra desde el espacio y el posicionamiento por satélite, han permitido observar y medir tanto la deformación producida en el terreno como los cambios de la fuerza de la gravedad antes, durante y posteriormente a los eventos volcánicos que se producen. Estos nuevos dispositivos y sensores han cambiado las técnicas o metodologías geodésicas que se venían utilizando hasta la aparición de los mismos, renovando métodos clásicos y desarrollando otros nuevos que ya se están afianzando como metodologías probadas y reconocidas para ser usadas en la monitorización volcánica. Desde finales de la década de los noventa del siglo pasado se han venido desarrollando en las Islas Canarias varios proyectos que han tenido como objetivos principales el desarrollo de nuevas técnicas de observación y monitorización por un lado y el diseño de una metodología de monitorización volcánica adecuada, por otro. Se presenta aquí el estudio y desarrollo de técnicas GNSS para la monitorización de deformaciones corticales y su campo de velocidades para las islas de Tenerife y La Palma. En su implementación, se ha tenido en cuenta el uso de la infraestructura geodésica y de monitorización existente en el archipiélago a fin de optimizar costes, además de complementarla con nuevas estaciones para dar una cobertura total a las dos islas. Los resultados obtenidos en los proyectos, que se describen en esta memoria, han dado nuevas perspectivas en la monitorización geodésica de la actividad volcánica y nuevas zonas de interés que anteriormente no se conocían en el entorno de las Islas Canarias. Se ha tenido especial cuidado en el tratamiento y propagación de los errores durante todo el proceso de observación, medida y proceso de los datos registrados, todo ello en aras de cuantificar el grado de fiabilidad de los resultados obtenidos. También en este sentido, los resultados obtenidos han sido verificados con otros procedentes de sistemas de observación radar de satélite, incorporando además a este estudio las implicaciones que el uso conjunto de tecnologías radar y GNSS tendrán en un futuro en la monitorización de deformaciones de la corteza terrestre. ABSTRACT Volcanic activity occurs in many aspects of human activity, and not always in a negative manner. Nonetheless, research into volcanic activity is more likely to be motivated by its danger and risk. There are security reasons that influence the monitoring of volcanic activity in order to guarantee the life and safety of human settlements near volcanic edifices. This thesis defines and implements a monitoring system of movements in the Earth’s crust in the islands of Tenerife and La Palma, where the social impact of an increase (or variation) of volcanic activity is very severe. Aside from the high demographic density of the archipelago, the population increases significantly in different periods throughout the year due to tourism, which represents a major source of revenue for the islands. The population and the tourist centres are mainly spread along the coasts and also along the flanks of the volcanic edifices. Perhaps the preservation of these social and socio-economic structures is the most important reason that justifies monitoring volcanic activity in the Canary Islands. Recently more and more work has been done with the intention of predicting volcanic activity, using new geodesic monitoring systems, since volcanic activity is evident prior to eruption because of a deformation of the Earth’s crust and changes in the force of gravity in the zone where volcanic events will later be recorded. The new devices and sensors that have been developed in recent years in areas such as geodesy, the observation of the Earth from space, and satellite positioning have allowed us to observe and measure the deformation produced in the Earth as well as the changes in the force of gravity before, during, and after the volcanic events occur. The new devices and sensors have changed the geodetic techniques and methodologies that were used previously. The classic methods have been renovated and other newer ones developed that are now vouched for as proven recognised methodologies to be used for volcanic monitoring. Since the end of the 1990s, in the Canary Islands various projects have been developed whose principal aim has been the development of new observation and monitoring techniques on the one hand, and the design of an appropriate volcanic monitoring methodology on the other. The study and development of GNSS techniques for the monitoring of crustal deformations and their velocity field is presented here. To carry out the study, the use of geodetic infrastructure and existing monitoring in the archipelago have been taken into account in order to optimise costs, besides complementing it with new stations for total coverage on both islands. The results obtained in the projects, which are described below, have produced new perspectives in the geodetic monitoring of volcanic activity and new zones of interest which previously were unknown in the environment of the Canary Islands. Special care has been taken with the treatment and propagation of errors during the entire process of observing, measuring, and processing the recorded data. All of this was done in order to quantify the degree of trustworthiness of the results obtained. Also in this sense, the results obtained have been verified with others from satellite radar observation systems, incorporating as well in this study the implications that the joint use of radar technologies and GNSS will have for the future of monitoring deformations in the Earth’s crust.