Crustal deformation in linfen area studied by MT-InSAR

Linfen area is dominated by a series of strike-slip active faults and is presently characterized by low or medium seismicity. The Multi-temporal Interferometry SAR (MT-InSAR) methodology provides high resolution assessment of surface deformations over long periods of observation. Stanford Method for Persistent Scatterers (StaMPS) includes a Permanent Scatterer InSAR (PS-InSAR) method and a Small Baseline (SB) method, which are the two categories of MT-InSAR. Over 100,000 PS velocity along the satellite Line Of Sight (LOS) was calculated using ENVISAT images acquired as well as the time series of LOS displacement based on SB method of StaMPS, which mainly show a successive dynamic pattern, i.e., mountains or sub-uplift zones keep rising, and basins or depressions remain subsiding. Moreover, uplift with large scale emerges in the region where Hancheng Fault runs crossing Luoyun Piedmont Fault, which is perhaps caused by the being obstructed of its right-lateral slip. As a result, crustal stress field is accumulating and seismic hazard becomes increasing.