A New Method for Continuous Track Monitoring in Regions of Differential Land Subsidence Rate Using the Integration of PS-InSAR and SBAS-InSAR

Underground coal fires are a pervasive global environmental issue, especially in coal-rich regions, causing significant environmental damage, safety hazards, and economic losses. These fires release smoke containing carbon dioxide and other harmful gases, exacerbating climate change. This study presents a novel comprehensive analysis method using multi-source remote sensing technology to detect smoke fugitive channels caused by coal fires. We utilized 29 Landsat-8 satellite images of the Sulabulak fire area in China to retrieve vegetation coverage (FVC) and land surface temperature (LST), identifying sparse vegetation and high-temperature anomaly areas. Additionally, 135 dual-polarized Sentinel-1A images were used to obtain surface deformation through SBAS-InSAR and PS-InSAR techniques. The integration of these datasets, validated by field survey data, revealed a high degree of overlap between the identified smoke fugitive channels and subsidence areas. Our results demonstrate an annual increase in sparse vegetation areas, high-temperature anomalies, and ground subsidence, indicating intensified coal fire combustion and expanding smoke fugitive channels. This method's effectiveness in identifying coal fire areas underscores its potential for enhancing coal fire monitoring and management, contributing to more accurate carbon emission estimates and improved mitigation strategies.

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Land Subsidence Detection Using SBAS- and Stacking-InSAR with Zonal Statistics and Topographic Correlations in Lakhra Coal Mines, Pakistan

Ashraf,

Yin,

Liu

et al. 2024

Remote Sensing

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The adverse combination of excessive mining practices and the resulting land subsidence is a significant obstacle to the sustainable growth and stability of regions associated with mining activities. The Lakhra coal mines, which contain some of Pakistan’s largest coal deposits, have been overlooked in land subsidence monitoring, indicating a considerable oversight in the region. Subsidence in mining areas can be spotted early when using Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR), which can precisely monitor ground changes over time. This study is the first to employ the Small Baseline Subset (SBAS)-InSAR and stacking-InSAR techniques to identify land subsidence at the Lakhra coal mines. This research offers critical insights into subsidence mechanisms in the study area, which has never been previously investigated for ground deformation monitoring, by utilizing 150 Sentinel-1A (ascending) images obtained between January 2018 and September 2023. A total of 102 deformation spots were identified using SBAS-InSAR, while stacking-InSAR detected 73 deformation locations. The most extensive cumulative subsidence in the Lakhra coal mine was −114 mm, according to SBAS-InSAR, with a standard deviation of 6.63 mm. In comparison, a subsidence rate of −19 mm/year was reported using stacking-InSAR with a standard deviation of 1.17 mm/year. The rangeland covered 88.8% of the total area and exhibited the most significant deformation values, as determined by stacking and SBAS-InSAR techniques. Linear regression showed that there was not a strong correlation between subsidence and topographic factors. As detected by optical remote sensing data, the subsidence locations were near or above the mines in the research area, indicating that widespread mining in Lakhra coal mines was the cause of subsidence. Our findings suggest that SAR interferometric time series analysis is helpful for proactively identifying and controlling subsidence difficulties in mining regions by closely monitoring activities, hence reducing negative consequences on operations and the environment.

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A New Method for Continuous Track Monitoring in Regions of Differential Land Subsidence Rate Using the Integration of PS-InSAR and SBAS-InSAR

Cited by 3 publications

References 54 publications

Spatio-temporal evolution of land subsidence and susceptibility zonation of associated ground fissures in the urban area of loess plateau: a case in Xianyang city, China

Spatio-temporal evolution of land subsidence and susceptibility zonation of associated ground fissures in the urban area of loess plateau: a case in Xianyang city, China

Application of Multi-Source Remote Sensing Fusion for Identifying Smoke Fugitive Channels in the Sulabulak Fire Area, Urumqi, China

Land Subsidence Detection Using SBAS- and Stacking-InSAR with Zonal Statistics and Topographic Correlations in Lakhra Coal Mines, Pakistan

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