Assessment of ground deformation in Mandalay, Myanmar, using InSAR with Sentinel-1 data after the March 2025 earthquake
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: This study quantifies coseismic ground deformation associated with the 28 March 2025 earthquake sequence (Mw 6.7–7.7) in the Mandalay Region of Myanmar. Differential interferometric synthetic-aperture radar (DInSAR) was applied to Sentinel-1A single-look complex (SLC) data, using pre-event images acquired six and four days before the earthquakes and post-event images acquired five and nineteen days after. The interferograms were processed in ESA SNAP, phase-unwrapped with SNAPHU, and geocoded using the 30 m SRTM digital elevation model (DEM). A coherence threshold of 0.35 was applied to ensure reliable phase retrieval. Peak line-of-sight (LOS) displacements reach +0.24 m (uplift) and –0.62 m (subsidence) for the ascending pair, and +0.22 m (uplift) and –0.64 m (subsidence) for the descending pair. Decomposition of the paired LOS maps yields vertical motion between +0.74 m and –1.57 m and east–west offsets between –1.99 m (westward) and +1.29 m (eastward), corresponding to a horizontal-to-vertical displacement ratio of 1.27. The deformation field closely follows the surface trace of the dextral Sagaing Fault, confirming it as the primary seismogenic structure. Opposite-sense deformation is observed across the fault, with subsidence and eastward motion on the western block and uplift and westward motion on the eastern block. These results provide a high-resolution deformation field for this event and highlight the value of open-access Sentinel-1 data for rapid seismic hazard assessment in data-scarce regions. • Sentinel-1 InSAR maps co-seismic deformation from the 2025 Mandalay earthquake. • Vertical motion ranges from +0.74 m uplift to −1.57 m subsidence. • E–W ground shifts reach 1.99 m westward and 1.29 m eastward. • Deformation patterns align with the Sagaing Fault rupture zone.
Source: Science of Remote Sensing
Institution: University of Tübingen
Language: English
Subfield: Aerospace Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,180
OpenAlex ID: W7117131967