Different Ground Subsidence Contributions Revealed by Integrated Discussion of Sentinel-1 Datasets, Well Discharge, Stratigraphical and Geomorphological Data: The Case of the Gioia Tauro Coastal Plain (Southern Italy)

Abstract

Groundwater is the main water supply for agricultural and industrial needs in many coastal plains worldwide. Groundwater depletion often triggers land subsidence, which threatens manmade infrastructure and activities and aggravates other geohazards. We applied a multi-temporal interferometric synthetic aperture radar technique to Sentinel-1 datasets to detect ground motion in the Gioia Tauro plain (Calabria, Southern Italy) from 2018 to 2021. The InSAR data were analysed through the integrated use of groundwater head, stratigraphical and geomorphological data, and land use information to distinguish the potential subsidence divers. The results show that subsiding areas, with a mean rate of about 10 mm/yr, are in the middle of the plain, and their location is influenced by the spatial distribution of compressible sediments included in the shallow aquifer. Furthermore, the subsidence arrangement is spatially accordant with the main groundwater depression area, which can be ascribed to the ongoing and increasing water pumping for predominantly agricultural usage. We also observed that subsidence (up to 10 mm/yr) affects the western dock of the Gioia Tauro harbour, in front of which, in very shallow water, are two submarine canyon heads already affected by slides in the past.

Shallow Geothermal Potential of the Sant’Eufemia Plain (South Italy) for Heating and Cooling Systems: An Effective Renewable Solution in a Climate-Changing Society

“…However, this element has yet to lead to savings on electricity costs, contributing significantly to the causes that induce the lowest value of Italy's GDP. In Calabria, the main urbanised areas are often located along the vast coastal plains (Gioia Tauro, Sibari, Sant'Eufemia, Crotone, Reggio Calabria), which have always been considered strategic sectors for human settlement with the relative issues due to the intensive use of the territory and resources [16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23] and the ever-increasing demand for energy. In response to this, in the frame of the PNRR 2023-2026 projects (Tech4You), a detailed reconstruction of the geothermal potential of the Calabria region represents a needed milestone.…”

InSAR-Based Detection of Subsidence Affecting Infrastructures and Urban Areas in Emilia-Romagna Region (Italy)

“…During the past few decades, synthetic aperture radar interferometry (InSAR) has been effectively applied for the study of natural phenomena such as landslides [1][2][3][4], subsidence [5][6][7], volcanic activity [8][9][10][11] or earthquakes [12,13]. Advanced interferometric techniques (e.g., Small Baseline Subset (SBAS) [14], Persistent Scatterers [15]) exploiting long stacks of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data have also proven to be useful tools for studying buildings and infrastructures affected by thermal effects [16] or land subsidence [17,18], evaluating displacements that could compromise their stability [19].…”

Large-Scale Land Subsidence Monitoring and Prediction Based on SBAS-InSAR Technology with Time-Series Sentinel-1A Satellite Data

“…Land subsidence is a geological issue in which land in a given region loses elevation under soil compression induced by natural or human activities. Humans continue to exploit coal, oil, gas, and groundwater for their own development needs [1][2][3][4][5][6]. Land subsidence has become a geological disaster that cannot be ignored in social and economic development [7,8].…”