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Remote Sensing in Earthquake, Tectonics and Seismic Hazards

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A special issue of Remote Sensing (ISSN 2072-4292). This special issue belongs to the section "Engineering Remote Sensing".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2023) | Viewed by 16816

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Aggelos Pallikarakis

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Guest Editor

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera Odos, GR11855 Athens, Greece
Interests: active tectonic; earthquake; natural hazards; geology; paleoenvironment; seismic hazards
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Georgios Deligiannakis

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 IeraOdos, GR11855 Athens, Greece
Interests: seismic hazard assessment; earthquake geology; remote sensing; structure from motion; tectonic geomorphology; earthquake catastrophe modeling; paleoseismology; UAV
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Ioannis Papanikolaou

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Guest Editor

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 IeraOdos, 11855 Athens, Greece
Interests: geohazards; structural geology; earthquake geology; environmental geology; active faults; seismic hazard assessment; ESI 2007

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The continuous threat of earthquake events makes the constant and meticulous monitoring of active fault structures a necessity. Indeed, remote sensing techniques focused on earthquake events and their effects, active tectonic analyses and seismic hazard assessment have proven a powerful tool kit for the scientific community. During the last decades, many new techniques have been deployed to understand how earthquakes affect the natural and built environment. Satellite images have urged our knowledge about tectonic movements and earthquakes. Numerous techniques have been deployed to study earthquake effects and monitor earthquake hazards and tectonics . DInSAR in particular, is now an essential tool for mapping the tectonic deformation pattern in surficial earthquakes and primary earthquake environmental effects. Apart from satellite data, other state of the art remote sensing techniques can also be helpful to the scientific community. For example, the Terrestrial Laser Scanner is used for studying the geometry, kinematics and slip-rates of active faults, as well as for extracting paleoevents in postglacial limestone scarps, complementing cosmogenic studies. Lately, UAV (sfm) photogrammetry and airborne lidar imagery are becoming common tools for generating point clouds and DEMs of very high spatial resolution at a lower cost, particularly for remote/ unreachable areas .

This Special Issue aims at studies covering the study of active faults and thus, seismic hazard assessment. More specifically, the main goal of this special issue is to highlight the undeniable assistance that remote sensing techniques can offer to examine earthquakes, active faults and seismic hazards.

Topics may cover anything from earthquake precursors to aftershock monitoring, earthquake movements and co-seismic phenomena and deformation, detailed mapping of fault structures, their slip-rates as well as overall tectonic movements. Hence multiscale approaches or studies focused on remote sensing techniques on natural hazards are welcome. Articles may address, but are not limited, to the following topics:

Earthquake surface deformation
Tectonic processes
Seismic hazard assesment
Neotectonics
Earthquake surface effects

Dr. Aggelos Pallikarakis
Dr. Georgios Deligiannakis
Dr. Ioannis Papanikolaou
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Remote Sensing is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

InSAR
UAV
LiDAR
Multi hazard
seismicity
Faults
Aftershocks
Co-seismic phenomena

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 112625 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Insight into the 1 December 2016 Mw 6.2 Juliaca Earthquake, Southern Peru, by InSAR Observations and Field Investigation

by Qingfeng Hu, Weiwei Jia, Jiuyuan Yang and Yanling Zhao

Remote Sens. 2023, 15(17), 4341; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15174341 - 3 Sep 2023

Viewed by 1285

Abstract

On 1 December 2016, an Mw 6.2 earthquake characterized by normal faulting occurred in the highlands of the central Andes in southern Peru, marking the region’s largest shallow event. The occurrence of the earthquake provides a significant chance to gain insight into the regional tectonic deformation and the seismogenic mechanism of the shallow normal-faulting earthquake, as well as the regional potential seismic risk. Here, we first utilize Sentinel-1A interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) data to extract the coseismic and postseismic deformation associated with this earthquake and then determine the detailed coseismic slip and postseismic afterslip distribution of this event. Coseismic modeling results indicate that the coseismic rupture is mainly characterized by normal faulting with some dextral strike-slip components. Most coseismic slip is confined to a depth range of 2–12 km, indicating an obvious slip deficit area in the shallow fault part. Further postseismic modeling reveals that the majority of afterslip is concentrated at depths of 0 to 5.4 km. The relatively shallow postseismic afterslip makes up for the coseismic slip deficit area to some extent. Through a joint analysis of the inversions, seismic data, and regional geology and geomorphology, we infer that the occurrence of this 2016 normal-faulting event is a result of regional gravitational collapse. In addition, we investigate the relationship between the 2016 earthquake and great historical earthquakes near the subduction zone of the central Andes and find that the 2016 event is likely promoted in advance by these events through our calculations of the coseismic and postseismic Coulomb stress changes. Finally, we should pay more attention to the nearby Falla Huaytacucho-Condoroma fault and the western segment of the Vilcanota Fault because of their relatively high stress loading. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Remote Sensing in Earthquake, Tectonics and Seismic Hazards)

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25 pages, 8969 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Relationship between Crustal Deformation and Thermal Anomalies in the 2022 Ninglang Ms 5.5 Earthquake in China: Clues from InSAR and RST

by Zhibin Lai, Jiangqin Chao, Zhifang Zhao, Mingchun Wen, Haiying Yang, Wang Chai, Yuan Yao, Xin Zhao, Qi Chen and Jianyu Liu

Remote Sens. 2023, 15(5), 1271; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15051271 - 25 Feb 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2023

Abstract

On 2 January 2022, an earthquake of M_s 5.5 occurred in Ninglang County, Lijiang City, the earthquake-prone area of northwestern Yunnan. Whether this earthquake caused significant deformation and thermal anomalies and whether there is a relationship between them needs further investigation. Currently, multi-source remote sensing technology has become a powerful tool for long-time-series monitoring of earthquakes and active ruptures which mainly focuses on single crustal deformation and thermal anomaly. This study aims to reveal the crustal deformation and thermal anomaly characteristics of the Ninglang earthquake by using both Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) and Robust Satellite Techniques (RST). First, Sentinel-1A satellite SAR data were selected to obtain the coseismic deformation field based on Differential InSAR (D-InSAR), and the Small Baseline Set InSAR (SBAS-InSAR) technique was exploited to invert the pre- and post-earthquake displacement sequences. Then, RST was used to extract the thermal anomalies before and after the earthquake by using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer Land Surface Temperature (MODIS LST). The results indicate that the seismic crustal deformation is dominated by subsidence, with 23 thermal anomalies before and after the earthquake. It is speculated that the Yongning Fault in the deformation area is the main seismogenic fault of the Ninglang earthquake, which is dominated by positive fault dip-slip motion. Meanwhile, the seismic fault system composed of NE- and NW-oriented faults is an important factor in the formation of thermal anomalies, which are accompanied by changes in stress at different stages before and after the earthquake. Moreover, the crustal deformation and seismic thermal anomalies are correlated in time and space, and the active rupture activities in the region produce deformation accompanied by changes in thermal radiation. This study provides clues from remote sensing observations for analyzing the Ninglang earthquake and provides a reference for the joint application of InSAR and RST for earthquake monitoring. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Remote Sensing in Earthquake, Tectonics and Seismic Hazards)

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21 pages, 29314 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Integration of Terrestrial Laser Scanner (TLS) and Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) to Characterize the Three-Dimensional (3D) Geometry of the Maoyaba Segment of the Litang Fault, Southeastern Tibetan Plateau

by Di Zhang, Zhonghai Wu, Danni Shi, Jiacun Li and Yan Lu

Remote Sens. 2022, 14(24), 6394; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs14246394 - 18 Dec 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2402

Abstract

High-resolution topographic and stratigraphic datasets have been increasing applied in active fault investigation and seismic hazard assessment. There is a need for the comprehensive analysis of active faults on the basis of the correlating geomorphologic features and stratigraphic data. The integration of TLS and GPR was adopted to characterize the 3D geometry of the fault on the Maoyaba segment of Litang fault. The TLS was used to obtain the high-resolution topographic data for establishing the 3D surficial model of the fault. The 2D 250 MHz and 500 MHz GPR profiles were carried out to image the shallow geometry of the fault along four survey lines. In addition, the 3D GPR survey was performed by ten 2D 500 MHz GPR profiles with 1 m spacing. From the 2D and 3D GPR results, a wedge-shaped deformation zone of the electromagnetic wave was clearly found on the GPR profiles, and it was considered to be the main fault zone with a small graben structure. Three faults were identified on the main fault zone, and fault F₁ and F₃ were the boundary faults, while the fault F₂ was the secondary fault. The subsurface geometry of the fault on the GPR interpreted results is consistent with the geomorphologic features of the TLS-derived data, and it indicates that the Maoyaba fault is a typical, normal fault. For reducing the environmental disruption and economic losses, GPR was the most optimal method for detecting the subsurface structures of active faults in the Litang fault with a non-destructive and cost-effective fashion. The 3D surface and subsurface geometry of the fault was interpreted from the integrated data of TLS and GPR. The fusion data also offers the chance for the subsurface structures of active faults on the GPR profiles to be better understood with its corresponding superficial features. The study results demonstrate that the integration of TLS and GPR has the capability to obtain the high-resolution micro geomorphology and shallow geometry of active faults on the Maoyaba segment of the Litang fault, and it also provides a future prospect for the integration of TLS and GPR, and is valuable for active fault investigation and seismic hazard assessment, especially in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau area. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Remote Sensing in Earthquake, Tectonics and Seismic Hazards)

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30 pages, 19344 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

SNAPPING Services on the Geohazards Exploitation Platform for Copernicus Sentinel-1 Surface Motion Mapping

by Michael Foumelis, Jose Manuel Delgado Blasco, Fabrice Brito, Fabrizio Pacini, Elena Papageorgiou, Panteha Pishehvar and Philippe Bally

Remote Sens. 2022, 14(23), 6075; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs14236075 - 30 Nov 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3104

Abstract

We are communicating recent developments regarding the Surface motioN mAPPING (SNAPPING) service for the Sentinel-1 mission on the Geohazards Exploitation Platform (GEP) platform in support of the scientific community as well as of EO practitioners. We present the processing scheme adopted for the service and the designed implementation on the GEP, and we discuss in detail the user-defined processing parameters and service outputs. SNAPPING is offered through three independent services, namely the SNAPPING IFG for the generation of interferometric stacks, utilized consequently as input for the SNAPPING PSI Med and SNAPPING PSI Full services, which execute Persistent Scatterers Interferometry (PSI) analyses at medium and full resolutions, respectively. The inter-verification of the SNAPPING results was performed to underline the robustness of the provided measurements, and several showcases from diverse environments are demonstrated. The service aims to pave the way towards the improved acceptance of EO-hosted processing services and deeper community engagement, anticipating operational exploitation in response to geohazards. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Remote Sensing in Earthquake, Tectonics and Seismic Hazards)

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31 pages, 5422 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Refining Rates of Active Crustal Deformation in the Upper Plate of Subduction Zones, Implied by Geological and Geodetic Data: The E-Dipping West Crati Fault, Southern Italy

by Marco Meschis, Giordano Teza, Enrico Serpelloni, Letizia Elia, Giovanni Lattanzi, Miriana Di Donato and Silvia Castellaro

Remote Sens. 2022, 14(21), 5303; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs14215303 - 23 Oct 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2835

Abstract

We investigate crustal deformation within the upper plate of the Ionian Subduction Zone (ISZ) at different time scales by (i) refining geodetic rates of crustal extension from continuous Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) measurements and (ii) mapping sequence of Late Quaternary raised marine terraces tectonically deformed by the West Crati normal fault, in northern Calabria. This region experienced damaging earthquakes in 1184 (M 6.75) and 1854 (M 6.3), possibly on the E-dipping West Crati fault (WCF) which, however, is not unanimously considered to be a seismogenic source. We report geodetic measurements of extension and strain rates across the strike of the E-dipping WCF and throughout the northern Calabria obtained by using velocities from 18 permanent GNSS stations with a series length longer than 4.5 years. These results suggest that crustal extension may be seismically accommodated in this region by a few normal faults. Furthermore, by applying a synchronous correlation approach, we refine the chronology of understudied tectonically deformed palaeoshorelines mapped on the footwall and along the strike of the WCF, facilitating calculation of the associated fault-controlled uplift rates. Raised Late Quaternary palaeoshorelines are preserved on the footwall of the WCF indicating that “regional” uplift, likely related to the deformation associated either with the subduction or mantle upwelling processes, is affected by local footwall uplift. We show that GIS-based elevations of Late Quaternary palaeoshorelines, as well as temporally constant uplift rates, vary along the strike of the WCF, implying normal faulting activity through time. This suggests that (i) the fault slip rate governing seismic hazard has also been constant over the Late Quaternary, over multiple earthquake cycles, and (ii) our geodetically derived fault throw rate for the WCF is likely a more than reasonable value to be used over longer time scales for an improved seismic hazard assessment. Overall, we emphasize the importance of mapping crustal deformation within the upper plate above subduction zones to avoid unreliable interpretations relating to the mechanism controlling regional uplift. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Remote Sensing in Earthquake, Tectonics and Seismic Hazards)

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17 pages, 19779 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Surface Displacements Mechanism of the Dobi Graben from ASAR Time-Series Analysis of InSAR: Implications for the Tectonic Setting in the Central Afar Depression, Ethiopia

by Zelalem S. Demissie and Glyn Rimmington

Remote Sens. 2022, 14(8), 1845; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs14081845 - 12 Apr 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2472

Abstract

The Dobi graben is a Quaternary, NW-trending continental rift found within the East-Central Block (ECB) of the Afar Depression (AD) in Ethiopia. The AD might be the only place where three active rifts meet on land. This diffused, Rift–Rift–Rift (RRR) triple junction in the ECB comprises the overlap zone between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden propagators. Rifting is ongoing in the Dobi graben as evidenced by the August 1989 earthquakes (of magnitude 5.7 < MW < 6.2). This study carried out a surface displacement time-series analysis to examine the kinematics of the Dobi graben and the surrounding area using 18 ascending orbit scenes (between May 2005 and March 2010) along tract 257 and 15 along the descending orbit (tract 006) of the Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (ASAR), C-band (λ = 5.6 cm) acquired by the ENVIronmental SATellite (ENVISAT). We utilized the Small Baseline Algorithm (SBA) techniques of the distributed scatterer, which were implemented independently to generate Line of Sight (LOS) displacement maps. These LOS displacement surface movements, identified in both geometries, can be interpreted as ± signs of predominantly vertical movement in both geometries: positive for uplifting and negative for subsidence. Additionally, opposite signs of ± horizontal movement in both geometries indicate that the movement is from East to West (or vice versa). Results from the velocity and displacement maps and time series analysis suggest that creeping is associated mainly with normal faulting and could be the primary mechanism for strain distribution for the Southeastern part of the Dobi graben. The anomalous, continuous uplifting exhibited at the rift shoulder and in the horst area might be linked to the presence of temporary reactivation of normal faulting in the region. The oblique, positive LOS signals observed in different parts of the Dobi graben might serve as a proxy for understanding how strain is accommodated as normal faulting and is distributed in a distinct northeast direction. This explanation supports both the arguments for the Northeast migration of the triple junction and the transfer of strain from the southernmost Red Sea Rift (RSR) to the Central AD. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Remote Sensing in Earthquake, Tectonics and Seismic Hazards)

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