A 2D velocity field computation using multi-dimensional InSAR: a case study of the Abu-Dabbab area in Egypt

Abstract

Abstract In this paper, the surface deformation of Abu-Dabbab area in Egypt is analyzed. This area is appealing for a variety of investments and tourism because of its temperate climate and pristine surroundings. The ascending Sentinal-1A and Sentinal-1B data of 204 scenes from September, 2016 to December, 2021 and the descending Sentinal-1A data of 116 scenes from May, 2017 to December, 2021 are used for analysis. The surface deformation results in time series that are extracted by the small baseline subset interferometric synthetic aperture radar (SBAS-InSAR) approach. According to the InSAR monitoring data, Abu-Dabbab’s overall deformation rate is between approximately −10 mm/yr, 10 mm/yr and approximately −3 mm/yr, 3 mm/yr for vertical v U and horizontal (East-West) v E velocity respectively. These results indicate that the area is in a stable state. Field research confirms the validity of the SBAS-InSAR approach for surface deformation monitoring. By using Global Positioning System (GPS) techniques, the crustal deformation data are collected in this area. The more exact positions of the GPS station have been obtained by the recording, processing, and adjustment of GPS measurements. Within the same timeframe, there was a correlation between the GPS measurements of Marsa Alam’s station (MARS) and the InSAR results. The MARS station location’s estimated vertical and horizontal (East-West) measurements were 1.5 ± 0.5 mm/yr and −1.7 ± 0.6 mm/yr, respectively, with a 95 % confidence level from GPS data. The decomposition of the descending and ascending LOS tracks of the MARS GPS station yielded a vertical component and a horizontal component of 2.01 ± 0.4 mm/yr and −2.42 ± 0.7 mm/yr, respectively. The factors affecting the development of geological disasters are also discussed.