Recent Surface Deformation in the Tianjin Area Revealed by Sentinel-1A Data

In this study, we employed multitemporal InSAR (Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar) (MT-InSAR) to detect spatial and temporal ground deformations over the whole Tianjin region in the North China Plain area. Twenty-five ascending Sentinel-1A terrain observation by progressive scans (TOPS) synthetic aperture radar (SAR) scenes covering this area, acquired from 9 January 2016 to 8 June 2017, were processed using InSAR time series analysis. The deformation results derived from Sentinel-1A MT-InSAR were validated with continuously operating reference stations (CORS) at four sites and four stations of the Crustal Movement Observation Network of China (CMONOC). The overall results show good agreement, demonstrating the suitability of applying Doris with Sentinel-1A data to high-resolution monitoring of surface deformation. Significant deformation variations have been observed in different parts of Tianjin. These gradually increased from the central part of the metropolitan area to the nearby suburbs. The deformation rate of the main urban area is well-balanced and it is also relatively linear, with uplifting rates ranging from 0 to 20 mm/yr. However, due to the diversity of the geological conditions and anthropogenic activities, remarkable signs of subsidence were found in several parts of Tianjin. In particular, the south-western part of Wuqing District and western part of Beichen District showed subsidence rates of up to −136 mm/yr. We also found that, in addition to groundwater over-exploitation and lithological characteristics, additional factors also influence ground subsidence, including dynamic loads (e.g., railways), static loads (e.g., urban construction), and groundwater recharging.