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Producing a State-wide Ground Deformation Map of Alaska With Satellite Remote Sensing

Description: 

Across Alaska, rapid environmental changes are occurring. Many of these are due to climate change, with Arctic temperatures rising four times faster than the global average. Varying distributions of permafrost, defined as ground that remains frozen for two years or more, cover large regions of the state and undergo seasonal freeze-thaw cycles, but increasing temperatures are causing the permafrost to degrade. Thawing permafrost leads to significant ground deformation and persistent subsidence, compromising ground stability and endangering critical infrastructure such as buildings, transportation networks, and pipelines. Beyond these local risks, permafrost degradation also presents a global challenge. As frozen soils melt, greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane can be emitted, intensifying global warming and perpetuating a concerning positive feedback loop.

While tracking this phenomenon and other causes of ground deformation is crucial, field measurements in Alaska, particularly in its Arctic areas, remain scarce. Using multitemporal interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) techniques, we process Sentinel-1 satellite data with wavelet-based InSAR (WabInSAR) software to generate a statewide ground deformation map. InSAR provides an efficient means of observing the entire state of Alaska regardless of cloud cover and solar illumination conditions. Our results reveal spatially varying trends of subsidence and uplift across the state. We also identify cyclical patterns in the deformation time series. The data we map offers a wide-scale overview of the state, providing possible insights into regions of rapid ground deformation across Alaska. Our study demonstrates the use of InSAR to map ground deformations from varying processes across a large and diverse region, with implications for infrastructure resilience, coastal hazards, permafrost thaw, and the complex interactions between climate change and geohazards.

Session: New Directions in Environmental, Seismic Hazard and Mineral Resource Exploration Studies - I

Type: Oral

Date: 4/17/2025

Presentation Time: 02:30 PM (local time)

Presenting Author: Carmen

Student Presenter: Yes

Invited Presentation: Yes

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