Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://theses.ncl.ac.uk/jspui/handle/10443/4599
Title: Spaceborne InSAR for dam stability
Authors: Al-Husseinawi, Yasir Ammar Abed
Issue Date: 2019
Publisher: Newcastle University
Abstract: This study evaluates the feasibility of the use of satellite radar for dam deformation monitoring. Spaceborne Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) has long been used to monitor geohazards, including earthquakes, landslides, and volcanos. However, few studies have recently investigated its feasibility for localised deformation monitoring such as of earth dams. Here two case studies are presented of the monitoring of dams in Iraq. Mosul dam is one of the most dangerous dams in the world. Previous studies have reported that over a million human lives would be potentially at risk should dam failure occur. Therefore, investigation of its health using precise and continuous observations is crucial. This was achieved with two independent geodetic datasets from levelling and InSAR, and the results show continuous vertical displacements on the dam crest due to the dissolution of foundations. Vertical displacement rate estimates from levelling and InSAR for the period 2003-2010 are in good agreement, with a correlation of 0.93 and an RMSE of ± 1.7 mm. For the period 2014- 2017, the correlation is 0.95 and the RMSE is ± 0.9 mm. The movement of the dam was evaluated using settlement index which is not referring to critical instability of the dam. However, the spatial and temporal displacement anomalies emphasize that a careful monitoring and remedial work should continue. The continuous displacement in the dam foundation could loosen the compaction of the embankment and result in internal erosion. In a separate study, Darbandikhan dam was monitored using a global positioning system (GPS), levelling, and Sentinel-1 data to evaluate its stability after the 2017 Mw 7.3 Sarpol-e Zahab earthquake. The large gradient of the dam’s displacements on its crest hindered the estimation of co-seismic displacements using medium-resolution SAR data. However, Sentinel-1 images were sufficient to examine the dam’s stability before and after the earthquake. The results show that the dam was stable between October 2014 and November 2017, but after the earthquake continuous subsidence on the dam crest occurred between November 2017 and March 2018. For the first time the stability of the Mosul and Darbandikhan dams has been assessed using an integration of InSAR and in-situ observations. Different types of deformations were recognized, which helped in interpreting the dam’s deformation mechanisms
Description: PhD Thesis
URI: http://theses.ncl.ac.uk/jspui/handle/10443/4599
Appears in Collections:School of Engineering

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