Investigating ground deformation due to a series of collapse earthquakes by means of the PS-InSAR technique and Sentinel 1 data in Kandy, Sri Lanka

Time series interferometry synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) techniques have rarely been applied to detect displacement due to low-magnitude (5.5 ≥ M) earthquakes. This study exploits the combined permanent scatterer (PS) interferometry (PS-InSAR) and differential interferometry (D-InSAR) methods to investigate the deformation rates due to low-magnitude partial series of collapse earthquakes. Kandy, the hill capital of Sri Lanka, was experiencing a series of collapsed earthquakes. Historical geological evidence of dynamic topography with prolonged vertical movement further promotes the initiatory InSAR investigation. A series of Sentinel 1A images from the years 2019 to 2021 were employed. Initial D-InSAR near-zero baseline analysis suggested possible displacement in the range of −10 mm / year and +2 mm / year for subsidence and uplift, respectively. Using these prior motion velocities, the temporal coherence was optimized in PS-InSAR. Variogram models and ordinary Kriging (OK) were employed to predict deformation for the areas with limited PS detection. Descending orbits images PS show a dominant uplift of +20 mm / year, which are concentrated over Kandy urban areas. Movements along the ascending line of sight at Victoria Dam in the south are in the range of −40 mm / year. Slopes along the Mahaweli river lineament to the east show subsidence in the range of −29 to 36 mm / year. The coregistered landslide hazard map of Kandy shows deformation areas are exposed to landslide risk. Changes in terrestrial and ground water levels measured with the gravity recovery and climate experiment/GRACE-Follow-On during the period reveal significant irregularities. The study can be considered a prototype example that can be extended to investigate low-magnitude incomplete collapse earthquakes in different geological and geotechnical setups for ground deformation.