The response of land subsidence by over-exploitation using PSInSAR — A case study of Huairou, Beijing, China

PSInSAR is a well-known remote sensing technique with the ability to monitor ground deformations. In this study we applied the PSInSAR technique to study the subsidence phenomena due to the over-exploitation of groundwater in Huairou Emergency Water Source which is the first oversize emergency water source in Beijing. A series of Envisat ASAR images from 2003 to 2009 are used to monitor the ground deformations in the study area. The subsidence map shows subsidence is related to the level of groundwater and the quantity of rainfall. Temporal analysis of the maps detects yearly and seasonal subsidence patterns. A spatial correlation has been observed between the groundwater depression funnel and the subsidence area, which changed from SW-NE to NW-SE. As the decrease of groundwater, the subsidence trend is expanding with the mean subsidence velocity of 8mm/a, and there is a seasonal change in the study area.