Investigation of land subsidence development trend of Mashhad-Chenaran plain using Sentinel-1A radar images and its relationship with groundwater depletion

Subject Areas : Applications in natural hazard and disaster

javad Dowlati ¹ , Gholamreaza Lashkaripour ^{2 *} , naser hafezi moghaddas ³ , yaser maghsoudi ⁴

1 - , Department of Geology, Faculty of Sciences, Ferdowsi Mashhad University, Iran
2 - , Department of Geology, Faculty of Sciences, Ferdowsi Mashhad University, Iran
3 - Professor, Department of Geology, Faculty of Sciences, Ferdowsi Mashhad University, Iran
4 - Associate professor of Photogrammetry and Remote sensing , Faculty of Geomatic, Khaje Nasir Toosi University

Received: 2022-04-08 Accepted : 2022-06-02 Published : 2025-01-16

Keywords: Groundwater, Radar interferometry, Correlation Coefficient, Mashhad-Chenaran plain, Land subsidence,

Abstract :

Extensive exploitation of groundwater resources in the Mashhad-Chenaran aquifer in the last 50 years (1970-2021) has led to a sharp decline in groundwater levels. Negative effects of subsidence due to the severe development of groundwater resources have occurred in some parts of the plain since the late 1980s and in recent years has covered the entire plain. In this study, subsidence of the entire Mashhad-Chenaran plain has been investigated using Sentinel-1A radar image data between 2014 and 2020 using Small Baseline Subset(SBAS) Interfergrametry method. Examination of subsidence maps shows that there are three subsidence areas including area 1 in the southeast of Mashhad, area 2 in the northwest of Mashhad and area 3 in the northwest of the plain. The maximum annual sitting rate in the two subsidence zones is equal to 19 cm per year and in the two subsidence zones 1 and 3 are 8.9 and 12.1 cm per year, respectively. The results of the time series rate estimated using radar image processing at the location of Golmakan GPS stations and Toos power plant with the actual measured values show the high compliance of these two time series. Adaptation of 30-year groundwater level drop curves and subsidence map shows that the triple subsidence zones correspond to areas with groundwater level drop of more than 30 meters. Also, to investigate the relationship between subsidence and groundwater level drop, correlation coefficients and determination coefficients for each well have been calculated using groundwater level and subsidence data at the location of selected observation wells. Based on the obtained correlation coefficients, the selected wells are divided into two groups with a correlation coefficient of more than 0.8 (75% of wells) and between 0.46 and 0.008, which indicates a good correlation between subsidence rate and groundwater level drop in the most observation wells.

References:

1. Akbari V, Motagh M. 2011. Improved ground subsidence monitoring using small baseline SAR interferograms and a weighted least squares inversion algorithm. IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Letters, 9(3): 437-441.
2. Anwari, M. and H. Noorollahian (2007). A new approach to subsidence of Mashhad plain. Geomatics Conference, National Cartographic Center of Iran(NCC):
3. Arjmand Sharif, M., Jafari, H. 2021. Estimation of Groundwater Recharge Lag Time in Mashhad-Chenaran Aquifer Using Cross-Correlation Method. Water and Soil, 35(4): 489-504. (In Persian).
4. Arjmand Sharif, M. and Jafari, H. 2022. "Groundwater Recharge Estimating in Mashhad-Chenaran Aquifer using water table fluctuations method (MRC algorithm)." Hydrogeology 6(2): 151-168.
5. Arvin A, Vahabzadeh G, Mousavi SR, Bakhtyari Kia M. 2019. (Arvin, Vahabzadeh et al. 2019). Journal of RS and GIS for Natural Resources, 10(3): 19-34. http://girs.iaubushehr.ac.ir/article_668468_en.html(In Persian).
6. Babaee, S., Mousavi, Z., Masoumi, Z., Malekshah, A.H., Roostaei, M., & Aflaki, M. 2020. Land subsidence from interferometric SAR and groundwater patterns in the Qazvin plain, Iran. International Journal of Remote Sensing, 41: 4780-4798
7. Berardino P, Fornaro G, Lanari R, Sansosti E.2002. A new algorithm for monitoring localized deformation phenomena based on small baseline differential SAR interferograms. IEEE Int Geosci Remote Sens Symp 2:2375–2383. doi: 10.1109/IGARSS.2002.1025900
8. Dehghani M, Valadan Zouj MJ, Saatchi S, Biggs J, Parsons B, Wright T.2009. Radar interferometry time series analysis of Mashhad subsidence. J Indian Soc Remote Sens., 37(1):147–156. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12524-009-0006-x
9. Dehghani M.2014. An Enhanced Algorithm based on Radar Interferometry for Monitoring Land Subsidence Caused by Over-Exploitation of Groundwater. jgit., 2 (2):61-73: http://jgit.kntu.ac.ir/ article-1-135-fa.html (In Persian).
10. Geological Survey of Iran.2018.The land subsidence study of Mashhad plain with InSAR: 80p. (In Persian).
11. Gharechelou, S., Akbari Ghoochani, H., Golian, S., Ganji, K.2021. Evaluation of land subsidence relationship with groundwater depletion using Sentinel-1 and ALOS-1 radar data (Case study: Mashhad plain). Journal of RS and GIS for Natural Resources, 12(3): 40-61(In Persian).

12. Hafezi Moghaddas N, Leo C, Rahimi B, Azadi A. 2018. Morpho-tectonics and Geoelectrical method applied to active faults characterization in South of Mashhad Plain, Northeast of Iran. Geopersia, 8(1): 13-26. doi:https://dx.doi.org/10.22059/geope.2017.230489.648312.
13. Haghshenas Haghighi M, Motagh M. 2019. Ground surface response to continuous compaction of aquifer system in Tehran, Iran: results from a long-term multi-sensor InSAR analysis. Remote Sens. Environ., 221:534–550
14. Khorasan Razavi Regional Water Authority. KRRWA.2015.Water Resources Budget of Ghareghum Basin .Vol. 7. Mashhad Sub basin,90 P. (In Persian).
15. Khorrami, M., Abrishami, S., Maghsoudi, Y.2020. Extreme subsidence in a populated city (Mashhad) detected by PSInSAR considering groundwater withdrawal and geotechnical properties. Sci Rep 10(1): 1-16., 11357. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-67989-1
16. Lashkaripoor G, Ghafoori M, Bagherpoor Moghadam B, Talebian S. 2007. Investigation of Groundwater Depletion on Land Subsidence case study. 1st International Applied Geological Congress May 2007, Mashhad, Iran.Vol 2:15-21 (In Persian).
17. Lashkaripour GR, Ghafoori M, Maddah MM. 2014. An investigation on the mechanism of land subsidence in the Northwest of Mashhad city, NE Iran. Journal of Biodiversity and Environmental Sciences (JBES),Vol, 5: 321-327.
18. IWRMC (Iran Water Resources Management Company).2021. The situation of the forbidden plains of the country Iran. Ministry of Energy, Iran,90 P. (In Persian).
19. Mahmoudpour, M., Khamehchiyan, M., Nikudel, M.R.,Ghassemi, M.R.2016. Numerical simulation and prediction of regional land subsidence caused by groundwater exploitation in the southwest plain of Tehran, Iran. Engineering Geology,201:6-28.
20. Mehrabi, A., Ghazanfarpour, H.2019. Monitoring Surface Elevation Changes of Kerman City and Prediction of High-Risk Areas Using ASAR and SENTINEL 1 Radar Images. Journal of Geography and Environmental Hazards. 8(2):167-182. doi: 10.22067/geo.v0i0.77132(In Persian).
21. Mirzadeh, S. M. J., Jin, S., Parizi,E., Chaussard, E., Burgmann, R.,Delgado Blasco, J. M., et al..2021. Characterization of irreversible land subsidence in the Yazd-Ardakan Plain,Iran from 2003 to 2020 InSAR time series. Journal of Geophysical Research, Solid Earth. 126(11). https://doi.org/ 10.1029 /2021JB022258
22. Motagh, M., Djamour, Y., Walter, T. R., Wetzel, H. U., Zschau, J., Arabi, S. 2007. Land subsidence in Mashhad Valley, northeast Iran: results from InSAR, levelling and GPS. Geophysical Journal International, 168(2): 518-526.
23. Motagh, M., Walter, T. R., Sharifi, M. A., Fielding, E., Schenk, A., Anderssohn, J., Zschau, J. 2008. Land subsidence in Iran caused by widespread water reservoir overexploitation. Geophysical Research Letters, 35(16). doi:10.1029/2008gl033814

24. Motagh, M., Shamshiri, R., Haghshenas Haghighi, M., Wetzel, H.-U., Akbari, B., Nahavandchi, H., Roessner, S., Arabi, S. (2017): Quantifying groundwater exploitation induced subsidence in the Rafsanjan plain, southeastern Iran, using InSAR time-series and in situ measurements.- Engineering Geology, 218, 134-151.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2017.01.011
25. National Cartographic Center of Iran (NCC). 2018. Atlas of Mashhad plain subsidence,38 p. (In Persian). https://www.ncc.gov.ir/images/docs/files/000001/nf00001461-2.pdf
26. Papi, R., Attarchi, S., Soleimani, M. 2020.Analysing Time Series of Land Subsidence in the West of Tehran Provin111ce (Shahriar Plain) and its Relation to Groundwater Discharge by InSAR Technique. Geography and Environmental Sustainability. 10(1): 109-128. doi:10.22126/ges.2020.4933.2182 (In Persian).
27. Rahmanian,A.1986.The land subsidence and earth fissure by groundwater depletion in Kerman.water,5:25-48 (In Persian)
28. Rokni, J., HosseinZadeh, S., Lashkaripour, G.R., Velayati, S. 2019. Analysis of Spatial Distribution and Mechanism of Formation of Fissures due to Land Subsidence in Dasht-e-Neyshabur. Scientific Quarterly Journal of Iranian Association of Engineering Geology, 12(3): 65-82.
29. Saeidi, H., Lashkaripour, G.R., Ghafoori, M. 2020. Evaluation of land subsidence in Kashmar-Bardaskan plain, NE Iran. Iranian Journal of Earth Sciences, 12(4): 280-291. doi: 10.30495/ijes.2020.677469
30. Salehi Moteahd, F., Hafezi Moghaddas, N., Lashkaripour, G.R. .2019. Geological parameters affected land subsidence in Mashhad plain, north-east of Iran. Environ Earth Sci .78:1-12 https://doi.org/10.1007/ s12665-019-8413-y
31. Tarahhomi. A. 1997. The economic and social effects of ground water Decline and the land subsidence of mashhad plains, Water and Development.5: 54-59.
32. Water Resources Basic Studies Office (KRRWA). 2018. Prohibition Extension Report of Mashhad-Chenaran study area water resources.,90 P.. (In Persian)