Timothy H. Dixon

Fore-arc Motion and Cocos Ridge Collision in Central America

[1]xa0We present the first regional surface velocity field for Central America, showing crustal response to interaction of the Cocos and Caribbean plates. Elastic half-space models for interseismic strain accumulation on the dipping subduction plate boundary fit the GPS data well and show strain accumulation offshore and beneath the Nicoya and Osa peninsulas in Costa Rica but not in Nicaragua. Since large subduction zone earthquakes occur in Nicaragua, we suggest that interseismic locking in Nicaragua and some other parts of Central America occurs but is mainly shallow, <20 km depth, too far offshore to be detected by our on-land GPS measurements. Our data also show significant trench-parallel motion for most of the region, generally interpreted as due to oblique convergence and strong mechanical coupling between subducting and overriding plates. However, trench-parallel motion is also observed in central Costa Rica, where plate convergence is normal to the trench, and in the Nicaraguan fore arc, where trench-parallel motion is fast, up to 9 mm a−1, but mechanical coupling is low. A finite element model of collision (as opposed to subduction) involving the aseismic Cocos Ridge also fits the GPS surface velocity field, most significantly reproducing the pattern of trench-parallel motion. We infer that buoyant, thickened CNS-2-Cocos Ridge crust resists normal subduction and instead acts as an indenter to the Caribbean plate, driving crustal shortening in southern Costa Rica and contributing to trench-parallel fore-arc motion in Costa Rica and perhaps Nicaragua as a type of tectonic escape.

Mexico City subsidence observed with persistent scatterer InSAR

We analyzed 23 satellite SAR (synthetic aperture radar) scenes using Persistent Scatter Interferometry (PSI) to study subsidence in Mexico City associated with groundwater withdrawal. The data were acquired by the Envisat ASAR system between January 2004 and July 2006. The spatial pattern of subsidence and the maximum subsidence rate (300 mm/year) are similar to earlier studies. Comparison to independent GPS data indicates RMS agreement between the two techniques of 6.9 mm/year, about the level expected based on joint data uncertainty. Significant annual variation in the GPS vertical data is not observed, suggesting minimal aquifer recharge during the rainy season, and justifying a simple linear model of phase variation through time for the PSI analysis.

Space Geodetic Imaging of Rapid Ground Subsidence in Mexico City

Since the late 1950s, several areas of Mexico City have undergone accelerated ground subsidence and have developed associated fracturing and faulting. New interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) and global positioning system (GPS) data indicate that rates of current land subsidence in Mexico City exceed 350 mm/yr. These rates are close to historical maximum levels of the mid-twentieth century, when mitigation efforts were fi rst undertaken to reduce damage to urban infrastructure. The locus of maximum subsidence has shifted from its historical location in the old city center to the east. Correlation of our InSAR results with seismically mapped stratigraphic units suggests that subsidence is primarily controlled by compaction of Quaternary lacustrine clays and silts. We also evaluate spatial gradients in subsidence and suggest that this, rather than subsidence magnitude, is the key factor in risk assessment. Subsidence represents a major geologic risk for Mexico City and imposes serious constraints to any further urban development.

InSAR-based mapping of surface subsidence in Mokpo City, Korea, using JERS-1 and ENVISAT SAR data

Mokpo City, located on the southwestern coast of the Korean Peninsula, has been built on one of the largest areas of reclaimed coastal land in Korea. This reclaimed land is currently experiencing significant ground subsidence due to soil consolidation. We have estimated the subsidence rate of Mokpo City (8 × 8 km) using the synthetic aperture radar interferometry (InSAR) and InSAR permanent scatterer (PSInSAR) techniques to analyze 26 JERS-1 SAR images acquired between 1992 and 1998 and six ENVISAT ASAR images acquired in 2004–2005. Mean subsidence velocity, which was clearly related to reclaimed land, was computed from the JERS-1 PSInSAR analysis. The results indicate a continuous and significant subsidence at three sites (Dongmyung, Hadang and Wonsan), where the subsidence velocity has reached more than 5–7 cm/yr in the area of maximum subsidence. The subsidence rate was found to have decreased in Wonsan and Hadang between 1992 and 1998, while it remained steady or increased in Dongmyung during the same period. The subsidence extended to the period of 2004–2005, and the subsidence rate predicted by the JERS-1 PSInSAR analysis using a linear model was confirmed by the ENVISAT ASAR InSAR results. Our results show that InSAR/PSInSAR-based subsidence maps are useful for the long-term monitoring of soil consolidation and for defining risk zones in coastal reclaimed regions.