Spatial and temporal subsidence characteristics in Wuhan (China), during 2015–2019, inferred from Sentinel-1 synthetic aperture radar (SAR) interferometry

Abstract

Ground subsidence is regarded as one of the most common geohazards, accompanied with the rapid urban expansion in recent years. In the last 2 decades, Wuhan, located in the alluvial Jianghan Plain, has experienced great urban expansion with increased subsidence issues, i.e., soft foundation subsidence and karst collapse. Here we investigated subsidence rates in Wuhan with 2015–2019 Sentinel-1 synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images. We found that the overall subsidence over the Wuhan region is significantly correlated with the distribution of engineering geological subregions (EGSs). We further validated the interferometric SAR (InSAR) measurements with better than 5 mm accuracy by comparing with leveling measurements. Subsidence centers in Qingling–Jiangdi, Houhu, Qingshan, and Dongxihu were identified with displacement rates of approximately 30 mm/yr. Our results demonstrated that the dominant driving factor is ongoing construction, and the fact that the subsidence centers shifted with construction intensities. The Qingling–Jiangdi area in our study is a well-known site of karst collapse. We find that the nonlinear subsidence of this area is correlated with the seasonal rainfall.