Assessment of mining-induced damage to structures using InSAR time series analysis: a case study of Jiulong Mine, China

Ground subsidence due to underground mining activities can damage surface constructions. In this study, interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) time series analysis was applied to assess the amount of damage sustained by Qiannantai village (Handan, China) constructions built above a coal mining area. The vertical displacements were detected using seven RadarSat-2 images acquired between October 2013 and March 2014. The analysis showed that the accumulated displacement and the maximum deformation rate reached 42 mm and 95 mm yr −1 , respectively, consistent with data obtained from levelling surveying. Based on this, a model of the relationship between the level of deformation/damage to constructions and ground deformation due to mining subsidence was developed, and the grade of mining-induced damage to village constructions was assessed. The method described in this paper is useful for determining the grade of mining-induced damage to constructions, which is a key feature for hazard prevention and mitigation.