Measuring Dam Deformation of Long-Distance Water Transfer Using Multi-Temporal Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry: A Case Study in South-to-North Water Diversion Project, China

Abstract

Long-distance water transfer is a critical engineering measure to rectify disparities in water resource distribution across regions. The effective operation and safety of such projects are paramount to their success, as localized issues can have cascading consequences, potentially disrupting the entire network. Conventional ground-based monitoring methods have limitations in measuring the deformation of large-scale structures. In this paper, InSAR is employed to monitor the deformation of the Shuangwangcheng (SWC) Reservoir, which features a long embankment dam as part of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project in China. We utilize data from both Sentinel-1 and TerraSAR-X satellites to derive 7-year deformation. Results reveal that the entire dam experiences continuous subsidence, with the maximum deformation in the line-of-sight direction measuring ~160 mm. While minor differential settlements are noted in different sections of the dam, the gradient is not significant due to the dam’s substantial length. The InSAR deformation results from multiple geometries demonstrate good consistency, with the highest correlation observed between the Sentinel-1 ascending and descending datasets, exceeding 0.9. Validation against the GNSS observations of the three sites on the SWC Dam shows the accuracy of InSAR displacements is ~8 mm. Water level changes do impact deformation, but consolidation settlement appears to be the primary controlling factor during the monitoring period. This study underscores the potential of InSAR in long-distance water transfer projects and highlights that spatially continuous deformation is the most significant advantage.