Monitoring Land Subsidence Patterns in Southwestern Tehran Using Radar Interferometry Time Series and Global Positioning System Observations

Rezaeezadeh, Amin; Tayfehrostami, Arash; Amiri, Meysam

doi:10.22059/ije.2025.397729.1875

Monitoring Land Subsidence Patterns in Southwestern Tehran Using Radar Interferometry Time Series and Global Positioning System Observations

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

¹ Department of Construction Engineering, École de technologie supérieure ÉTS, 1100 Notre-Dame St W, Montreal, Quebec, H3C 1K3, Canada

² Faculty of Geodesy and Geomatics Engineering, K. N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran, Iran.

³ Ph.D. in Geophysics Department of Earth Sciences Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences (IASBS), Zanjan, Iran

10.22059/ije.2025.397729.1875

Abstract

Research Topic: This study investigates land subsidence trends in the southwestern region of Tehran, Iran, where overextraction of groundwater combined with prolonged drought has triggered severe and accelerating ground deformation. Given the critical implications for infrastructure stability and water resource sustainability, this research aims to analyze the spatial and temporal patterns of subsidence in this area using advanced geodetic techniques.
Objective: This study investigates the rate and trend of land subsidence in the southwest of Tehran Province during the years 2014 to 2017. The main objective is to analyze ground surface changes and to examine the impacts of excessive groundwater extraction in this region, which has become one of the most critical plains in the country.
Method: A time-series analysis was conducted using Sentinel-1A Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data processed with the Small Baseline Subset (SBAS) InSAR technique for the period from October 2014 to March 2017. To validate the InSAR-derived displacement results, GNSS data from the Varamin station were used. The analysis focused on vertical ground movements to quantify the rate and extent of subsidence in the study area.
Results: The findings reveal that the maximum subsidence rate reached 174 mm/year along the satellite’s line of sight, corresponding to 227 mm/year in the vertical direction. The GNSS data confirmed the reliability of the InSAR results, despite minor spatial scale differences between the two datasets. The most severe subsidence was recorded in the Shahriar and Eslamshahr regions, where uncontrolled groundwater extraction has led to critical ground deformations threatening urban infrastructures, roads, and pipelines. The observed subsidence pattern correlates strongly with the spatial distribution of groundwater pumping wells and agricultural water consumption, exacerbated by consecutive drought periods.
Conclusions: This study highlights the alarming rate of land subsidence in southwestern Tehran and underscores the urgent need for continuous geodetic monitoring combined with groundwater management strategies. Without effective intervention, the ongoing depletion of aquifers will likely lead to irreversible ground deformation and significant socio-economic and environmental risks. The integration of InSAR time-series analysis with ground-based GNSS observations provides a robust framework for assessing and mitigating land subsidence hazards in vulnerable urban and peri-urban areas.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Climate Change

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