Investigating local surface displacements associated with anthropogenic activities by satellite radar interferometry : application to Staufen im Breisgau and Ketzin Direct anthropogenic influences on the Earth’s subsurface during drilling extraction or injection activities can affect land stability by causing subsidence uplifts or lateral displacements. They can occur in localized as well as in uninhabited and inhabited regions. Thus the associated risks for humans infrastructure and environment must be minimized. To achieve this appropriate surveillance methods must be found that can be used for simultaneous monitoring during such activities. Multi temporal synthetic aperture radar interferometry (MT InSAR) methods like the Persistent Scatterer Interferometry (PSI) and the Small BAseline Subsets (SBAS) have been developed as standard approaches for satellite based surface displacement monitoring. With increasing spatial resolution and availability of SAR sensors in recent years MT InSAR can be valuable for the detection and mapping of even the smallest man made displacements. This doctoral thesis aims at investigating the capacities of the mentioned standard methods for this purpose …