Multi-sensor technologies for analyzing sinkholes

The study of crustal deformation fields caused by earthquakes is important for a better understanding of seismic hazard and the growth of geological structures in tectonically active areas. In this study, we present, using interferometric measurements constructed from Sentinel-1 TOPS data and ALOS-2 ScanSAR, a coseismic deformation and source model of the Mw 7.3, 12 November 2017 earthquake that hit northwest of the Zagros Mountains in the region between Iran–Iraq border. We integrated observations from radar and optical remote sensing, seismology, and field mapping to investigate source parameters, coseismically triggered slope failures, and secondary faulting related to the Mw 7.3, Sarpol-e Zahab earthquake in Iran. Firstly, coseismic surface deformation was constrained by interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) analysis from InSAR measurements constructed from Sentinel-1 TOPS and ALOS-2 ScanSAR images. Secondly, we used the combination of offset tracking and burst overlap interferometry to resolve the displacement map in both across- and along-track directions. Thirdly, source parameters and slip models of the earthquake were then obtained through the Bayesian inversion of interferometric results using elastic dislocation modeling, considering the seismic parameters as a priori information. Fourthly, the obtained inversion model was interpreted in light of a seismological velocity model, clarifying crustal structure to answer the open structural questions raised above, in the northern portion of the Zagros collision zone. Finally, we present the result of our field survey and provide detailed information for the characteristics of the earthquake-induced geological effects, such as landslides and secondary faulting.