Time series mining subsidence monitoring with temporarily coherent points interferometry synthetic aperture radar: a case study in Peixian, China

Peixian, located in the northwest of Xuzhou, Jiangsu province, China, has rich coal resources and is one of the main coal mining regions in this coastal region. Ground subsidence as a result of mining is one of the main causes of environmental damage in Peixian. Using temporarily coherent points interferometry synthetic aperture radar (TCPInSAR), which is characterized by phase unwrapping and temporary coherent points (TCPs), 43 Sentinel-1A images acquired from 4 October 2016 to 21 April 2018 were processed to generate time-series ground deformations of the ZSL (Zhang-shuang-lou), the XZ (Xu-zhuang) and the KZ (Kong-zhuang) mines in the southern region of Peixian. The results showed that the maximum accumulated values for subsidence and velocity in the ZSL mine were − 418.3 mm and − 188.8 mm/year, respectively; the maximum accumulated values of subsidence in the XZ mine and the KZ mine reached − 213.2 mm and − 191.5 mm, respectively. The monitoring results showed that damage to buildings was consistent with underground mining activities. Therefore, on this basis, the time-series subsidence of large mining areas may be monitored using TCPInSAR.