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Monitoring subsidence at Messara basin using radar interferometry

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Abstract

The Messara valley is the largest and most productive region in the island of Crete, Greece. Over the last 20 years, extensive exploitation of the aquifer mainly for agricultural purposes has led to a 40-m decrease in the level of groundwater. This investigation aims at mapping ground subsidence that might be induced by such overpumping of groundwater using conventional differential interferometry. A total of 29 ERS-1 and 2 SAR and 7 ALOS PALSAR images have been used for forming interferograms. The images used cover the period from 1992 to 2000 and 2007 to 2010, respectively. Processing of ALOS L-band data (λ = 23.6 cm) has revealed a ground motion away from the Line of Sight of the satellite (LOS direction) that amounts to at least 3 cm/year for the period 2007–2010. Piezometric measurements and other geological parameters have also been analyzed.

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Acknowledgments

This work has been supported by the FP7-REGPOT-2008-1, Project No. 229885 (SOFIA), sponsored by the European Commission. The ERS SAR and ALOS PALSAR images have been provided by the European Space Agency-ESA in the framework of Category-1 Scientific Research Project C1P-4373. The author would like to thank ESA and the Region of Crete for their help and support.

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  1. Laboratory of Geodesy and Geomatics Engineering, Department of Mineral Resources Engineering, Technical University of Crete, Chania, 73 100, Crete, Greece

    Eirini S. Papadaki

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  1. Eirini S. Papadaki
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Correspondence to Eirini S. Papadaki.

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Papadaki, E.S. Monitoring subsidence at Messara basin using radar interferometry. Environ Earth Sci 72, 1965–1977 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-014-3105-0

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