Articles | Volume 1, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/eo-1-1-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/eo-1-1-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Evaluating InSAR-derived rates of surface-elevation change along the central U.S. Gulf Coast
Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
Torbjörn E. Törnqvist
Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
Jingyi Chen
Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
Center for Space Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
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Yue Wu, Jingyi Chen, M. Bayani Cardenas, and George W. Kling
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 29, 3481–3502, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-3481-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-3481-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
As the soil thaws in summer, the land subsides, owing to the greater volume of ice than of water. This deformation helps monitor water storage because the subsidence magnitude is proportional to water volume. In this study, the interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) technique was used to map subsidence around Toolik Lake, Arctic Alaska. Both InSAR and field observations suggest that soil water storage ranges from 0 to 75 cm, with small errors, and that the spatial distribution of soil water correlates strongly with topography and vegetation.
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Short summary
Subsidence, or the sinking of land, threatens the U.S. Gulf Coast, where millions face growing flood risks from sea-level rise. Measuring the subsidence is essential for coastal planning and climate adaptation. Satellite radar (InSAR) is widely used to measure subsidence, but studies often disagree. Comparing two recent datasets, we found widespread disagreements except in dense urban areas. Decision makers should use coastal InSAR products with caution until these discrepancies are resolved.
Subsidence, or the sinking of land, threatens the U.S. Gulf Coast, where millions face growing...