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.
ABSTRACT:Sirjan located in Southwest of Kerman City, Iran, is a city with average annual rainfall of 132mm. Over-exploitation of groundwater used for irrigation of pistachios gardens has caused serious land subsidence in Sirjan Plain. In this research we have used the Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar technique to estimate the subsidence rate in Sirjan plain. 18 Interferograms extracted from 12 ENVISAT ASAR images spanning between April 2004 and September 2010, have been studied. The SBAS algorithm was then applied in order to estimate the mean subsidence velocity map. Maximum subsidence rate is estimated as 28cm/yr. Furthermore, groundwater level fluctuations in the study area has been investigated in the piezometer wells located in the study area. Comparing between the results obtained from the interferometry and groundwater level fluctuation maps, shows a strong correlation between head decline in groundwater and land subsidence.
A land subsidence affecting several towns at the joining limits of the Belgian Provinces of East Flanders, Antwerp and Flemish Brabant is followed during the last three decades. ERS 1-2, ENVISAT, TerraSAR-X and Sentinel 1A satellites SAR scenes were processed from 1992 till October 2020 to map the land subsidence evolution. The subsidence corresponds to a surface area of 220 km² during the ERS1/2 time interval distributed over three distinct subsidence bowls. During the ENVISAT and TerraSAR-X time interval, only one residual subsidence bowl was mapped affecting a surface area of about 70 km². Several towns (Londerzeel and Steenhuffel) remained in the center of the subsidence bowl. The annual average negative velocity values range between -5.99 and -0.5 mm/year. More recently, during the Sentinel 1A period, the subsidence bowl has lost half of its surface reaching 36 km². The velocity values have also decreased during the period 2016-2020.
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