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Monitoring Geohazard from Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry

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A special issue of Remote Sensing (ISSN 2072-4292). This special issue belongs to the section "Remote Sensing in Geology, Geomorphology and Hydrology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2024 | Viewed by 12449

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Benedetta Antonielli

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Guest Editor

Department of Earth Sciences and Research Centre for Geological Risks (CERI) of The University of Rome "Sapienza", Rome, Italy
Interests: InSAR; landslides; ground deformation; geohazards

Prof. Dr. Francesca Bozzano

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Guest Editor

Department of Earth Sciences and Research Centre for Geological Risks (CERI), University of Rome "Sapienza", Rome, Italy
Interests: engineering geology; landslides; geohazards
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Paolo Mazzanti

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Guest Editor

Department of Earth Sciences, University of Rome “Sapienza”, Rome, Italy
Interests: landslide monitoring; photomonitoring; interferometry; geological risks; geological hazards; satellite images; machine learning; image processing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Among several remote sensing monitoring techniques for geohazards (both in urban and natural environment), satellite Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Interferometry is one of the most effective, and it is commonly used for medium- or large-scale phenomena as it is capable of mapping changes in the Earth’s surface. Nowadays, this technique represents one of the most effective means to manage geohazards and mitigate their risks, allowing the in-depth knowledge of the deformation processes and the monitoring of geological disasters, both during the slow evolution of the phenomena and in the paroxysmal phase. SAR Interferometry can lead to relevant new insights into the evolution in time of the processes, which include natural geohazards such as landslides, land subsidence and sinkholes, earthquakes, and volcanoes, as well as the geohazards due to human activity, such as mining activities and groundwater extraction-related subsidence, among others.

This Special Issue calls for papers dealing with monitoring, mapping, analyzing, and modeling natural and human-induced geohazards, as well as the mitigation of geohazards and risk assessment by the use of satellite SAR Interferometry.

This Special Issue invites both research papers and review articles on recent advances in SAR/InSAR applications for ground deformation monitoring, as well as advances in mechanism interpretation of geological processes based on time-series deformation measurement, and integration of InSAR data with other geodetic observations (e.g., GPS, leveling).

Themes welcome in this Special Issue include, but are not limited to:

Landslides;
Volcanic processes;
Land subsidence;
Sinkholes;
Mining activities;
Seismic and tectonics;
Structures or cities affected by geohazards.

Article types for submissions: Research articles: There is no limit on the number of references, tables, or figures (within reason). Focus articles: Focus articles are mini-reviews that focus on a particular concept or example, addressing specific questions and introducing the reader to the current thinking on the topic. There is no limit on the number of references, tables, or figures (within reason). Review articles: Review articles should be at least 20 pages. There is no limit on the number of references, tables, or figures (within reason).

Dr. Benedetta Antonielli
Prof. Dr. Francesca Bozzano
Prof. Dr. Paolo Mazzanti
Guest Editors

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Remote Sensing is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

geohazards
interferometry synthetic aperture radar (InSAR)
earthquakes
landslides
land subsidence
sinkholes
mining
structures affected by geohazards
man-made hazards

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 28024 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Surface Displacement Evaluation of Canto Do Amaro Onshore Oil Field, Brazil, Using Persistent Scatterer Interferometry (PSI) and Sentinel-1 Data

by Lenon Silva de Oliveira, Fabio Furlan Gama, Edison Crepani, José Claudio Mura and Delano Menecucci Ibanez

Remote Sens. 2024, 16(9), 1498; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs16091498 - 24 Apr 2024

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the occurrence of surface displacements in the Canto do Amaro (CAM) onshore oil field, situated in Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, using Sentinel-1 data. The persistent scatterer interferometry (PSI) technique was used to perform the analysis based on 42 Sentinel-1 images, acquired from 23 July 2020 to 21 December 2021. Moreover, information regarding the structural geology of the study area was collected by referencing existing literature datasets. Additionally, a study of the water, gas, and oil production dynamics in the research site was conducted, employing statistical analysis of publicly available well production data. The PSI points results were geospatially correlated with the closest oil well production data and the structural geology information. The PSI results indicate displacement rates from −20.93 mm/year up to 14.63 mm/year in the CAM region. However, approximately 90% of the deformation remained in the range of −5.50 mm/year to 4.95 mm/year, indicating low levels of ground displacement in the designated research area. No geospatial correlation was found between the oil production data and the zones of maximum deformation. In turn, ground displacement demonstrates geospatial correlation with geological structures such as strike-slip and rift faults, suggesting a tectonic movement processes. The PSI results provided a comprehensive overview of ground displacement in the Canto do Amaro field, with millimeter-level accuracy and highlighting its potential as a complementary tool to field investigations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Monitoring Geohazard from Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry)

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16 pages, 24606 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Estimation of Co-Seismic Surface Deformation Induced by 24 September 2019 Mirpur, Pakistan Earthquake along an Active Blind Fault Using Sentinel-1 TOPS Interferometry

by Muhammad Ali, Gilda Schirinzi, Zeeshan Afzal, Alessandra Budillon, Muhammad Saleem Mughal, Sajid Hussain and Giampaolo Ferraioli

Remote Sens. 2024, 16(8), 1457; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs16081457 - 20 Apr 2024

Viewed by 301

Abstract

Surface deformation caused by an earthquake is very important to study for a better understanding of the development of geological structures and seismic hazards in an active tectonic area. In this study, we estimated the surface deformation due to an earthquake along an active blind fault using Sentinel-1 SAR data. On 24 September 2019, an earthquake with 5.6 Mw and 10 km depth stroke near Mirpur, Pakistan. The Mirpur area was highly affected by this earthquake with a huge collapse and the death of 34 people. This study aims to estimate the surface deformation associated with this earthquake in Mirpur and adjacent areas. The interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) technique was applied to study earthquake-induced surface motion. InSAR data consisting of nine Sentinel-1A SAR images from 11 August 2019 to 22 October 2019 was used to investigate the pre-, co- and post-seismic deformation trends. Time series investigation revealed that there was no significant deformation in the pre-seismic time. In the co-seismic time, strong displacement was observed and in post-seismic results, small displacements were seen due to 4.4 and 3.2 Mw aftershocks. Burst overlap interferometry and offset-tracking analysis were used for more sensitive measurements in the along-track direction. Comprehensive 3D displacement was mapped with the combination of LOS and along-track offset deformation. The major outcome of our results was the confirmation of the existence of a previously unpublished blind fault in Mirpur. Previously, this fault line was triggered during the 2005 earthquake and then it was activated on 24 September 2019. Additionally, we presented the co-seismically induced rockslides and some secondary faulting evidence, most of which occurred along or close to the pre-existing blind faults. The study area already faces many problems due to natural hazards where additional surface deformations, particularly because of the earthquake with activated blind fault, have increased its vulnerability. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Monitoring Geohazard from Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry)

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19 pages, 7646 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An Interferometric-Synthetic-Aperture-Radar-Based Method for Predicting Long-Term Land Subsidence in Goafs through the Concatenation of Multiple Sources of Short-Term Monitoring Data

by Jinyang Li, Mingdong Zang, Nengxiong Xu, Gang Mei and Sen Yang

Remote Sens. 2023, 15(17), 4203; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15174203 - 26 Aug 2023

Viewed by 987

Abstract

The land subsidence occurring over a goaf area after coal mining is a protracted process. The accurate prediction of long-term land subsidence over goaf areas relies heavily on the availability of long-term land subsidence monitoring data. However, the scarcity of continuous long-term land subsidence monitoring data subsequent to the cessation of mining significantly hinders the accurate prediction of long-term land subsidence in goafs. To address this challenge, this study proposes an innovative method based on interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) for predicting long-term land subsidence of goafs following coal mining. The proposed method employs a concatenation approach that integrates multiple short-term monitoring data from different coal faces, each with distinct cessation times, into a cohesive and uniform long-term sequence by normalizing the subsidence rates. The method was verified using actual monitoring data from the Yangquan No. 2 mine in Shanxi Province, China. Initially, coal faces with the same shapes but varying cessation times were selected for analysis. Using InSAR monitoring data collected between June and December of 2016, the average subsidence rate corresponding to the duration after coal mining cessation on each coal face was back-calculated. Subsequently, a function relating subsidence rate to the duration after coal mining cessation was fitted to the data. Finally, the relationship between cumulative subsidence and the duration after coal mining cessation was derived by integrating the function. The results indicated that the relationship between subsidence rate and duration after coal mining cessation followed an exponential function for a given coal face, whereas the relationship between cumulative subsidence and duration after coal mining cessation conformed to the Knothe time function. Notably, after the cessation of coal mining, significant land subsidence persisted in the goaf of the Yangquan No. 2 mine for a duration ranging from 5 to 10 years. The cumulative subsidence curve along the long axis of the coal face ultimately exhibited an inclined W-shape. The proposed method enables the quantitative prediction of residual land subsidence in goafs, even in cases where continuous long-term land subsidence monitoring data are insufficient, thus providing valuable guidance for construction decisions above the goaf. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Monitoring Geohazard from Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry)

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18 pages, 7403 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Identification and Analysis of Unstable Slope and Seasonal Frozen Soil Area along the Litang Section of the Sichuan–Tibet Railway, China

by Yuanjian Wang, Ximin Cui, Yuhang Che, Peixian Li, Yue Jiang and Xiaozhan Peng

Remote Sens. 2023, 15(5), 1317; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15051317 - 27 Feb 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1435

Abstract

The Sichuan–Tibet Railway (STR) is currently under construction and serves as an important transportation route in western China. Identifying potential geohazards along the route is important for project construction. However, research on the frozen soil of the Western Sichuan Plateau, and on frozen soil identification using interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) is relatively negligible. As a low-cost, all-weather spatial geodesy tool, InSAR is frequently used for geohazard identification. We selected a study area located along the Litang section of the STR, starting from Litang County in the east and extending 60 km to the west. The geological conditions along the line are complex, with numerous fault zones and hidden danger points for landslide. To identify unstable slopes along the line, distribute scatterer InSAR (DS-InSAR) was used to obtain surface displacement information from 2018 to 2021. Based on the displacement information obtained from the ascending and descending orbit images from Sentinel-1, a spatial density clustering method identified 377 and 388 unstable slopes in the study area, respectively, of these, 132 were consistent. The identified unstable slopes were mostly located in areas with a relatively high altitude and moderate slope. The Luanshibao landslide, which is a typical landslide in the study area, had notable signs of displacement, where the displacement rate along the back edge of the landslide can reach 20 mm/a. An inversion method for the seasonal frozen soil area distribution was proposed based on the periodic subsidence and uplift model and time-series monitoring data; the calculated seasonal freeze–thaw amplitude exceeded 20 mm. Further analysis revealed a 2-month lag in the response of the freeze–thaw phenomenon to the air temperature. This study demonstrated that DS-InSAR offers optimal surface displacement data, which can provide an important basis to identify engineering geological hazards. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Monitoring Geohazard from Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry)

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26 pages, 9216 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Post Mining Ground Deformations Transition Related to Coal Mines Closure in the Campine Coal Basin, Belgium, Evidenced by Three Decades of MT-InSAR Data

by Pierre-Yves Declercq, Michiel Dusar, Eric Pirard, Jeffrey Verbeurgt, Atefe Choopani and Xavier Devleeschouwer

Remote Sens. 2023, 15(3), 725; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15030725 - 26 Jan 2023

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2189

Abstract

Spatio-temporal ground-movement measurements and mappings have been carried out in the Campine coalfield in Belgian Limburg since the closure of the mines to document post-mining effects. MT-InSAR measurements are compared to groundwater head changes in the overburden and to height data from the closest GNSS stations. Radar interferometry is used to estimate the extension and the velocity of ground movements. In particular, the MT-InSAR technique has been applied to SAR acquisitions of the satellites ERS-1/2 (1991–2005), ENVISAT (2003–2010), COSMO-SkyMed (2011–2014), and Sentinel-1A (2014–2022). The images were processed and used to highlight a switch from subsidence to uplift conditions in the western part of the coal basin, while the eastern part had already been affected by a rebound since the beginning of the ERS-1/2 acquisitions. Following the closure of the last active colliery of Zolder in 1992 and the subsequent cease of mine-water pumping, a recharge of mine-water aquifers occurred in the western part of the basin. This process provoked the change from subsidence to uplift conditions that was recorded during the ENVISAT period. In the center of the coal-mining area, measured uplift velocities reached a maximum of 18 mm/year during the ENVISAT period, while they subsided at −12 mm/year during the ERS-1/2 period. Mean velocities in the western and eastern parts of the coalfield area have decreased since the last MT-InSAR measurements were performed using Sentinel-1A, while the Zolder coal mine continues to rise at a faster-than-average rate of a maximum of 16 mm/year. The eastern part of the coalfield is still uplifting, while its rate has been reduced from 18 mm/year (ERS-1/2) to 9 mm/year (Sentinel-1A) since the beginning of the radar–satellite observations. Time-series data from the two GNSS stations present in the study area were used for a local comparison with the evolution of ground movements observed by MT-InSAR. Two leveling campaigns (2000, 2013) were also used to make comparisons with the MT-InSAR data. The station’s measurements and the leveling data were in line with the MT-InSAR data. Overall, major ground movements are obviously limited to an extension of the actual underground-mining works and rapidly diminish outside of them. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Monitoring Geohazard from Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry)

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19 pages, 8430 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Landslide Detection and Mapping Based on SBAS-InSAR and PS-InSAR: A Case Study in Gongjue County, Tibet, China

by Jiaming Yao, Xin Yao and Xinghong Liu

Remote Sens. 2022, 14(19), 4728; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs14194728 - 21 Sep 2022

Cited by 35 | Viewed by 4207

Abstract

The rock mass along the Jinsha River is relatively broken under complex geological action. Many ancient landslides were distributed along the Jinsha River in Gongjue County, which is very dangerous under the action of gravity, tectonic stress and river erosion. Efficient and accurate identification and monitoring of landslides is important for disaster monitoring and early warning. Interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) technology has been proved to be an effective technology for landslide hazard identification and mapping. However, great uncertainty inevitably exists due to the single deformation observation method, resulting in wrong judgment during the process of landslide detection. Therefore, to address the uncertainties arising from single observations, a cross-comparison method is put forward using SBAS-InSAR (small baseline subset InSAR) and PS-InSAR (permanent scatterers InSAR) technology. Comparative analysis of the spatial complementarity of interference points and temporal deformation refined the deformation characteristics and verified the reliability of the InSAR results, aiding in the comprehensive identification and further mapping of landslides. Landslides along the Jinsha River in Gongjue County were studied in this paper. Firstly, 14 landslides with a total area of 20 km² were identified by using two time-series InSAR methods. Then, the deformation characteristics of these landslides were validated by UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) images, multiresource remote sensing data and field investigation. Further, the precipitation data were introduced to analyze the temporal deformation characteristics of two large landslides. Lastly, the influence of fault activity on landslide formation is further discussed. Our results demonstrate that the cross-comparison of the time-series InSAR method can effectively verify the accuracy of landslide identification. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Monitoring Geohazard from Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry)

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23 pages, 20127 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessment of Urban Subsidence in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area (Central-West of Portugal) Applying Sentinel-1 SAR Dataset and Active Deformation Areas Procedure

by José Cuervas-Mons, José Luis Zêzere, María José Domínguez-Cuesta, Anna Barra, Cristina Reyes-Carmona, Oriol Monserrat, Sergio Cruz Oliveira and Raquel Melo

Remote Sens. 2022, 14(16), 4084; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs14164084 - 20 Aug 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1802

Abstract

The Lisbon metropolitan area (LMA, central-west of Portugal) has been severely affected by different geohazards (flooding episodes, landslides, subsidence, and earthquakes) that have generated considerable damage to properties and infrastructures, in the order of millions of euros per year. This study is focused on the analysis of subsidence, as related to urban and industrial activity. Utilizing the A-DInSAR dataset and applying active deformation areas (ADA) processing at the regional scale has allowed us to perform a detailed analysis of subsidence phenomena in the LMA. The dataset consisted of 48 ascending and 61 descending SAR IW-SLC images acquired by the Sentinel-1 A satellite between January 2018 and April 2020. The line-of-sight (LOS), mean deformation velocity (VLOS) maps (mm year⁻¹), and deformation time series (mm) were obtained via the Geohazard Exploitation Platform service of the European Space Agency. The maximum VLOS detected, with ascending and descending datasets, were −38.0 and −32.2 mm year⁻¹, respectively. ADA processing over the LMA allowed for 592 ascending and 560 descending ADAs to be extracted and delimited. From the VLOS measured in both trajectories, a vertical velocity with a maximum value of −32.4 mm year⁻¹ was estimated. The analyzed subsidence was associated to four ascending and three descending ADAs and characterized by maximum VLOS of −25.5 and −25.2 mm year⁻¹. The maximum vertical velocity associated with urban subsidence was −32.4 mm year⁻¹. This subsidence is mainly linked to the compaction of the alluvial and anthropic deposits in the areas where urban and industrial sectors are located. The results of this work have allowed to: (1) detect and assess, from a quantitative point of view, the subsidence phenomena in populated and industrial areas of LMA; (2) establish the relationships between the subsidence phenomena and geological and hydrological characteristics. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Monitoring Geohazard from Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry)

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