Freeze-Thaw Deformation Cycles and Temporal-Spatial Distribution of Permafrost along the Qinghai-Tibet Railway Using Multitrack InSAR Processing
The Qinghai-Tibet Railway (QTR) is the railway with the highest elevation and longest distance in the world, spanning more than 1142 km from Golmud to Lhasa across the continuous permafrost region. Due to climate change and anthropogenic activities, geological disasters such as subsidence and therma...
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MDPI AG
2021-11-01
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| Series: | Remote Sensing |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/13/23/4744 |
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| author | Jing Wang Chao Wang Hong Zhang Yixian Tang Wei Duan Longkai Dong |
| author_facet | Jing Wang Chao Wang Hong Zhang Yixian Tang Wei Duan Longkai Dong |
| author_sort | Jing Wang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Qinghai-Tibet Railway (QTR) is the railway with the highest elevation and longest distance in the world, spanning more than 1142 km from Golmud to Lhasa across the continuous permafrost region. Due to climate change and anthropogenic activities, geological disasters such as subsidence and thermal melt collapse have occurred in the QTR embankment. To conduct the large-scale permafrost monitoring and geohazard investigation along the QTR, we collected 585 Sentinel-1A images based on the composite index model using the multitrack time-series interferometry synthetic aperture radar (MTS-InSAR) method to retrieve the surface deformation over a 3.15 × 10<sup>5</sup> km<sup>2</sup> area along the QTR. Meanwhile, a new method for permafrost distribution mapping based on InSAR time series deformation was proposed. Finally, the seasonal deformation map and a new map of permafrost distribution along the QTR from Golmud to Lhasa were obtained. The results showed that the estimated seasonal deformation range of the 10 km buffer zone along the QTR was −50–10 mm, and the LOS deformation rate ranged from −30 to 15 mm/yr. In addition, the deformation results were validated by leveling measurements, and the range of absolute error was between 0.1 and 4.62 mm. Most of the QTR was relatively stable. Some geohazard-prone sections were detected and analyzed along the QTR. The permafrost distribution results were mostly consistent with the simulated results of Zou’s method, based on the temperature at the top of permafrost (TTOP) model. This study reveals recent deformation characteristics of the QTR, and has significant scientific implications and applicational value for ensuring the safe operation of the QTR. Moreover, our method, based on InSAR results, provides new insights for permafrost classification on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP). |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T04:46:04Z |
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| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T04:46:04Z |
| publishDate | 2021-11-01 |
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| record_format | Article |
| series | Remote Sensing |
| spelling | doaj.art-11a727675dfc462a8227123fd0f29f212023-11-23T02:55:43ZengMDPI AGRemote Sensing2072-42922021-11-011323474410.3390/rs13234744Freeze-Thaw Deformation Cycles and Temporal-Spatial Distribution of Permafrost along the Qinghai-Tibet Railway Using Multitrack InSAR ProcessingJing Wang0Chao Wang1Hong Zhang2Yixian Tang3Wei Duan4Longkai Dong5Key Laboratory of Digital Earth Science, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100094, ChinaKey Laboratory of Digital Earth Science, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100094, ChinaKey Laboratory of Digital Earth Science, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100094, ChinaKey Laboratory of Digital Earth Science, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100094, ChinaKey Laboratory of Digital Earth Science, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100094, ChinaKey Laboratory of Digital Earth Science, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100094, ChinaThe Qinghai-Tibet Railway (QTR) is the railway with the highest elevation and longest distance in the world, spanning more than 1142 km from Golmud to Lhasa across the continuous permafrost region. Due to climate change and anthropogenic activities, geological disasters such as subsidence and thermal melt collapse have occurred in the QTR embankment. To conduct the large-scale permafrost monitoring and geohazard investigation along the QTR, we collected 585 Sentinel-1A images based on the composite index model using the multitrack time-series interferometry synthetic aperture radar (MTS-InSAR) method to retrieve the surface deformation over a 3.15 × 10<sup>5</sup> km<sup>2</sup> area along the QTR. Meanwhile, a new method for permafrost distribution mapping based on InSAR time series deformation was proposed. Finally, the seasonal deformation map and a new map of permafrost distribution along the QTR from Golmud to Lhasa were obtained. The results showed that the estimated seasonal deformation range of the 10 km buffer zone along the QTR was −50–10 mm, and the LOS deformation rate ranged from −30 to 15 mm/yr. In addition, the deformation results were validated by leveling measurements, and the range of absolute error was between 0.1 and 4.62 mm. Most of the QTR was relatively stable. Some geohazard-prone sections were detected and analyzed along the QTR. The permafrost distribution results were mostly consistent with the simulated results of Zou’s method, based on the temperature at the top of permafrost (TTOP) model. This study reveals recent deformation characteristics of the QTR, and has significant scientific implications and applicational value for ensuring the safe operation of the QTR. Moreover, our method, based on InSAR results, provides new insights for permafrost classification on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP).https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/13/23/4744Qinghai-Tibet RailwayMTS-InSARpermafrost distributionseasonal deformation |
| spellingShingle | Jing Wang Chao Wang Hong Zhang Yixian Tang Wei Duan Longkai Dong Freeze-Thaw Deformation Cycles and Temporal-Spatial Distribution of Permafrost along the Qinghai-Tibet Railway Using Multitrack InSAR Processing Remote Sensing Qinghai-Tibet Railway MTS-InSAR permafrost distribution seasonal deformation |
| title | Freeze-Thaw Deformation Cycles and Temporal-Spatial Distribution of Permafrost along the Qinghai-Tibet Railway Using Multitrack InSAR Processing |
| title_full | Freeze-Thaw Deformation Cycles and Temporal-Spatial Distribution of Permafrost along the Qinghai-Tibet Railway Using Multitrack InSAR Processing |
| title_fullStr | Freeze-Thaw Deformation Cycles and Temporal-Spatial Distribution of Permafrost along the Qinghai-Tibet Railway Using Multitrack InSAR Processing |
| title_full_unstemmed | Freeze-Thaw Deformation Cycles and Temporal-Spatial Distribution of Permafrost along the Qinghai-Tibet Railway Using Multitrack InSAR Processing |
| title_short | Freeze-Thaw Deformation Cycles and Temporal-Spatial Distribution of Permafrost along the Qinghai-Tibet Railway Using Multitrack InSAR Processing |
| title_sort | freeze thaw deformation cycles and temporal spatial distribution of permafrost along the qinghai tibet railway using multitrack insar processing |
| topic | Qinghai-Tibet Railway MTS-InSAR permafrost distribution seasonal deformation |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/13/23/4744 |
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