3D coseismic deformation inversion of Wenchuan Ms8.0 earthquake with D-InSAR and the fault movement model

Abstract

Conventional D-InSAR (Differential SAR Interferometry) can only monitor 1-D surface deformation along LOS (line of sight) direction. In order to overcome this limitation and extract 3-D coseismic displacement, we combine the LOS displacement derived from D-InSAR technology, the OKADA elastic half space dislocation model theory, jointly the surface rupture distribution by field investigations and the fault model inverted by GPS, level data and gravity survey to retrieve the directions of surface co-seismic displacement, and then have got Wenchuan Ms8.0 Earthquake 3D displacement. Firstly, thirty six L-band PALSAR images of six adjacent ascending tracks are processed with D-InSAR technology to obtain the coseismic displacements along LOS direction. According to the OKADA model and the thrust fault movement model of the Long-Men-Shan Fault , we specify the three directions of surface coseismic displacements. And thus the 3D coseismic displacement field is then recovered by using LOS displacement and relevant geometric projection formulas, obviously including horizontal displacements field and vertical deformation contour maps. By comparing with the 3D displacement estimated from OKADA dislocation model and fault model, the displacement retrieved in this study can give more detail, and reflect seismic characteristics more truly.