Detection of sinkhole precursors through SAR interferometry : radar and geological considerations

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dc.contributor.author Theron, Andre
dc.contributor.author Engelbrecht, Jeanine
dc.contributor.author Kemp, Jaco
dc.contributor.author Kleynhans, Waldo
dc.contributor.author Turnbull, Terence
dc.date.accessioned 2017-07-18T09:49:23Z
dc.date.available 2017-07-18T09:49:23Z
dc.date.issued 2017-06
dc.description.abstract Sinkholes are an unpredictable geohazard that endanger life and property in dolomitic terrains. Sinkholes are a significant threat in Gauteng, South Africa’s most populated and urbanized province. Small-scale surface subsidence is frequently present prior to the collapse of a sinkhole. Therefore, the presence of precursory surface deformation can be exploited to develop early warning systems. Spaceborne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) differential interferometry (DInSAR) is able to monitor small-scale surface deformation over large areas and can be used to detect and measure precursors to sinkhole development. This letter investigates the use of repeat-pass DInSAR to detect sinkhole precursors in the Gauteng province. Twenty stripmap acquisitions from TerraSAR-X were acquired over a full year. DInSAR results revealed the presence of three previously unknown deformation features, one of which could be confirmed by subsequent field investigations. Furthermore, a water supply pipeline ruptured six months after the initial observation. The detection of the deformation, therefore, provided a viable early warning to landowners who were unaware of the subsidence. Detected deformation features were between 40 and 100 m in diameter. The maximum displacement measured was 50 mm over 55 days. Despite the successful detection, seven sinkhole events occurred in the observation period, for which no deformation could be detected. The results indicate that high-resolution X-band interferometry is able to monitor dolomite-induced instability in an urban environment. However, considerations related to SAR interferometry and physical sinkhole properties need to be addressed before DInSAR can be used in an operational early warning system. en_ZA
dc.description.department Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering en_ZA
dc.description.librarian hj2017 en_ZA
dc.description.sponsorship Council for Scientific and Industrial Research's studentship program en_ZA
dc.description.uri http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/RecentIssue.jsp?punumber=8859 en_ZA
dc.identifier.citation Theron, A., Engelbrecht, J., Kemp, J., Kleynhans, W. & Turnbull, T. 2017, 'Detection of sinkhole precursors through SAR interferometry : radar and geological considerations', IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Letters, vol. 14, no. 6, pp. 871-875. en_ZA
dc.identifier.issn 1545-598X (online)
dc.identifier.issn 1558-0571 (print)
dc.identifier.other 10.1109/LGRS.2017.2684905
dc.identifier.uri http://hdl.handle.net/2263/61360
dc.language.iso en en_ZA
dc.publisher Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers en_ZA
dc.rights © 2017 IEEE. Personal use is permitted, but republication/redistribution requires IEEE permission. en_ZA
dc.subject Geophysical measurement en_ZA
dc.subject Hazardous area en_ZA
dc.subject Interferometry en_ZA
dc.subject Land surface en_ZA
dc.subject Spaceborne radar en_ZA
dc.subject Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) en_ZA
dc.title Detection of sinkhole precursors through SAR interferometry : radar and geological considerations en_ZA
dc.type Postprint Article en_ZA


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