Salvatore Stramondo

Satellite radar and optical remote sensing for earthquake damage detection: results from different case studies

In case of a seismic event, a fast and draft damage map of the hit urban areas can be very useful, in particular when the epicentre of the earthquake is located in remote regions, or the main communication systems are damaged. Our aim is to analyse the capability of remote sensing techniques for damage detection in urban areas and to explore the combined use of radar (SAR) and optical satellite data. Two case studies have been proposed: Izmit (1999; Turkey) and Bam (2003; Iran). Both areas have been affected by strong earthquakes causing heavy and extended damage in the urban settlements close to the epicentre. Different procedures for damage assessment have been successfully tested, either to perform a pixel by pixel classification or to assess damage within homogeneous extended areas. We have compared change detection capabilities of different features extracted from optical and radar data, and analysed the potential of combining measurements at different frequency ranges. Regarding the Izmit case, SAR features alone have reached 70% of correct classification of damaged areas and 5 m panchromatic optical images have given 82%; the fusion of SAR and optical data raised up to 89% of correct pixel‐to‐pixel classification. The same procedures applied to the Bam test case achieved about 61% of correct classification from SAR alone, 70% from optical data, while data fusion reached 76%. The results of the correlation between satellite remote sensing and ground surveys data have been presented by comparing remotely change detection features averaged within homogeneous blocks of buildings with ground survey data.

The September 26, 1997 Colfiorito, Italy, earthquakes: Modeled coseismic surface displacement from SAR interferometry and GPS

The largest events of the 1997 Umbria-Marche seismic sequence were the two September 26 earthquakes of Mw = 5.7 (00:33 GMT) and Mw = 6.0 (09:40 GMT), which caused severe damage and ground cracks in a wide area around the epicenters. We created an ERS-SAR differential interferogram, where nine fringes are visible in and around the Colfiorito basin, corresponding to 25 cm of coseismic surface displacement. GPS data show a maximum horizontal displacement of (14±1.8) cm and a maximum subsidence of (24±3) cm. We used these geodetic data and the seismological parameters to estimate geometry and slip distribution on the fault planes. Modeled fault depths and maximum slip amplitudes are 6.5 km and 47 cm for the first event and 7 km and 72 cm for the second one, in good agreement with those derived from the seismological data.

Modeling coseismic displacements resulting from SAR interferometry and GPS measurements during the 1997 Umbria-Marche seismic sequence

In this study we analyse coseismic GPS displacements and DInSAR data to constrain a dislocation model for the three largest earthquakes of the 1997 Umbria-Marche seismic sequence. The first two events, which occurred on September 26 at 00:33 GMT (Mw 5.7) and 09:40 GMT (Mw 6.0) respectively, are investigated using both GPS displacements and DInSAR interferograms. We discuss and compare the results of previous studies which separately modeled a smaller subset of geodetic data. We provide a dislocation model for these two earthquakes which fits well both GPS and DInSAR data and agrees with the results of seismological and geological investigations. The first event consists of a unilateral rupture towards the southeast with a uniform dislocation. The strike, rake and dip angles are those resulting from the CMT solution. The second event consists of an unilateral rupture towards the northwest and a variable slip distribution on the fault plane. The strike and the rake are consistent with the CMT solution, but the dip angle has been slightly modified to improve the simultaneous fit of GPS and DInSAR data. While the second rupture (09:40 GMT) arrived very close to the surface, the fit to geodetic data shows that the first rupture (00:33 GMT) is deeper (2 km), despite the more evident surface geological effects. The analysis of new SAR interferograms allows the identification of a 5–6 cm additional displacement caused by the October 3 (Mw 5.2) and 6 (Mw 5.4) seismic events.We use data from a new DInSAR interferogram to model the displacement field of the Sellano earthquake of October 14, 1997. For this event significant GPS measurements were not available. We tested two different fault plane geometries: a blind, planar fault (top depth = 2.4 km), and a curved (listric) fault reaching the surface. The two models provide a generally similar fit to the data, and show that most of the slip was released at depths greater than 2.4 km along a gently dipping (40°–45°) fault surface. They also show that a unilateral rupture does not allow fitting the interferometric fringes since there is evident surface deformation to the northwest of the hypocenter. Moreover, we suggest that the concentration of high residuals in the southern part of our uniform slip model may in fact indicate a certain slip variability in this area.We conclude that, despite the moderate magnitudes and the lack of significant surface faulting, the space geodetic data allowed to constrain dislocation models giving new insights in the rupture process of the three largest events of the sequence.

Uplift and subsidence due to the 26 December 2004 Indonesian earthquake detected by SAR data

The Indonesian earthquake took place on 26 December 2004 at 00:58 GMT (moment magnitude 9.3) in the Indian Ocean, offshore the west coast of Sumatra, at a depth of about 30 km. This earthquake is one of the largest of the past 100 years, comparable only with those in Chile (1960) and Alaska (1964). The earthquake originated in the subduction zone of the Indian and Burma plates, moving at a relative velocity of 6 cm/year. The aftershocks were distributed along a plate boundary of about 1000–1300 km between Sumatra and the Andaman Islands. Some hours after the earthquake a destructive tsunami followed and hit the coastlines of the surrounding regions, causing widespread destruction in Indonesia, India, Thailand and Sri Lanka. The European Space Agency (ESA) made available a data package composed of European Remote Sensing Satellite Synthetic Aperture Radar (ERS‐SAR) and Environment Satellite Advanced SAR (ENVISAT‐ASAR) data covering the affected area, acquired before (four acquisition dates) and after (five acquisition dates) the earthquake. A total of 26 frames were analysed. We used this dataset to evaluate the effects of the earthquake and tsunami on the human settlements and the physiographic conditions along the coast. The proposed method is based on a visual comparison between pre‐ and post‐seismic SAR intensity images, and on an analysis of their correlation coefficients. No complex data were made available by the ESA to exploit phase coherence. Analysis of pre‐ and post‐earthquake SAR backscattering showed wide uplift areas between the Andaman Islands and Simeulue Island, and large modifications of the coastline of Sumatra. Subsiding areas were detected along the southeast coast of Andaman up to the west coast of Nicobar Island. Tidal effects were filtered out of the SAR images to identify the consequences of the earthquake. Global Positioning System (GPS) stations in the Andaman provided results confirming the surface displacement pattern detected by SAR. The analysis enabled us to draw a boundary line separating the uplift and subsidence.

The May 12, 2008, (Mw 7.9) Sichuan Earthquake (China): Multiframe ALOS-PALSAR DInSAR Analysis of Coseismic Deformation

A destructive (Mw 7.9) earthquake affected the Sichuan province (China) on May 12, 2008. The seismic event ruptured approximately 270 km of the Yingxiu-Beichuan fault and about 70 km of the Guanxian-Anxian fault. Surface effects were suffered over a wide epicentral area (about 300 km E-W and 250 km N-S). We apply the differential synthetic aperture radar interferometry (DInSAR) technique to detect and measure the surface displacement field, using a set of ALOS-PALSAR L-band SAR images. We combine an unprecedented high number of data (25 frames from six adjacent tracks) to encompass the entire area which has coseismically displaced. The resulting mosaic of differential interferograms covers an overall area of about 340 km E-W and 240 km N-S. We investigate the source of the Sichuan earthquake by modeling the DInSAR data. The geometry and position of the fault parameters are inferred by a nonlinear inversion, followed by a linear inversion to retrieve the relative slip distribution. Our results show two different source mechanisms for the 145-long Yingxiu-Beichuan fault and for the 105-long Beichuan-Qingchuan fault. Both faults are characterized by slip concentrations of up to 8 m.

X-, C-, and L-Band DInSAR Investigation of the April 6, 2009, Abruzzi Earthquake

This letter compares the coseismic deformation maps obtained from different synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensors using the well-known differential SAR interferometry technique. In particular, four deformation maps have been obtained from X-, C-, and L-band SAR sensors onboard COSMO-SkyMed, Envisat, and ALOS satellite missions correspondingly. The test case is the April 6,2009, earthquake (Mw = 6.3). This seismic event struck a densely populated region of the Apennines and was felt all over Central Italy. The SAR data set is rather inhomogeneous, since it includes interferograms with three different wavelengths, four acquisition geometries, different spatial resolutions, variable temporal and spatial baselines, and differently emphasized signal noise. However, we find that the detected displacements are highly comparable. The outcome of this work is that, even though such differences have an impact on the properties of the interferograms, the displacements can be measured with an overall discrepancy of about half the value of the shortest wavelength (COSMO-SkyMed) data set.

Geodetic constraints to the source mechanism of the 2011–2013 unrest at Campi Flegrei (Italy) caldera

Campi Flegrei caldera (Italy) was affected by a new unrest phase during 2011–2013. We exploit two COSMO-SkyMed data sets to map the deformation field, obtaining displacement rates reaching 9 cm/yr in 2012 in the caldera center. The resulting data set is fitted in a geophysical inversion framework using finite element forward models to account for the 3-D heterogeneous medium. The best fit model is a north dipping mixed-mode dislocation source lying at ~5 km depth. The driving mechanism is ascribable to magma input into the source of the large 1982–1984 unrest (since similar source characteristics were inferred) that generates initial inflation followed by additional shear slip accompanying the extension of crack tips. The history and the current state of the system indicate that Campi Flegrei is able to erupt again, and the advanced techniques adopted provide useful information for short-term forecasting.

Did the September 2010 (Darfield) earthquake trigger the February 2011 (Christchurch) event

We have investigated the possible cause-and-effect relationship due to stress transfer between two earthquakes that occurred near Christchurch, New Zealand, in September 2010 and in February 2011. The Mw 7.1 Darfield (Canterbury) event took place along a previously unrecognized fault. The Mw 6.3 Christchurch earthquake, generated by a thrust fault, occurred approximately five months later, 6 km south-east of Christchurchs city center. We have first measured the surface displacement field to retrieve the geometries of the two seismic sources and the slip distribution. In order to assess whether the first earthquake increased the likelihood of occurrence of a second earthquake, we compute the Coulomb Failure Function (CFF). We find that the maximum CFF increase over the second fault plane is reached exactly around the hypocenter of the second earthquake. In this respect, we may conclude that the Darfield earthquake contributed to promote the rupture of the Christchurch fault.

Coseismic Horizontal Offsets and Fault-Trace Mapping Using Phase Correlation of IRS Satellite Images: The 1999 Izmit (Turkey) Earthquake

On August 17, 1999, a strong earthquake (Mw ¿ 7.4) occurred along the western sector of the North Anatolian Fault system in Turkey. The epicenter was located near the city of Izmit, 50 km east of Istanbul. Previous works determined the coseismic surface displacements by satellite synthetic aperture radar (SAR) interferometry (InSAR) and satellite optical-image correlation. In 1999, the highest spatial resolution orbiting camera was the panchromatic sensor (PAN), a 5.8-m pixel sensor (SPOT 2 was a 10-m pixel sensor) onboard the Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) satellite. We propose to apply a new phase-correlation method to PAN images to study the coseismic rupture due to the Izmit earthquake. The phase-correlation method does not need phase unwrapping and was proved to be robust under a wide variety of circumstances. Image correlometry deals with the quantification of the subpixel offsets over the whole image, allowing displacement measurement with an accuracy that is proportional to the pixel size. We measured the near-field deformations exploiting two geometrically corrected IRS images with similar look angles. A quality check of the derived offset map was performed by comparison with GPS benchmarks and SPOT offsets. The results show that IRS PAN images can be correlated to derive coseismic slip offsets due to a large earthquake (and to map its fault trace).

Constraining primary surface rupture length along the Paganica fault (2009 L’Aquila earthquake) with geological and geodetic (DInSAR and GPS) data

Part of this work has been carried out within the ASI-SIGRIS project, funded by the Italian Space Agency and Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia