A Combination of Space and Terrestrial Geodetic Techniques to Monitor Land Subsidence: Case Study, the Southeastern Po Plain, Italy

Abstract

The southeastern Po Plain is affected by high natural and anthropogenic subsidence. The area is well suited to test the application of an observational strategy which combines different techniques to extract information on the spatial and temporal variability of the subsidence. The simultaneous availability, at a few stations, of several geodetic observation techniques such as Global Positioning System (GPS), gravity, and Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) allows for validation of the individual time series. The combination takes advantage of the complementary strengths of each technique by overcoming the limitations inherent in each single technique alone. The combination of velocities derived from the GPS and gravity data, further complemented by the results of the InSAR Permanent Scatterers technique, allows us to monitor continuously, in space and time, vertical crustal movements. This high‐density information is of major importance for understanding the processes responsible for the observed deformation. Here long‐term trends were derived, enabling us to map the behavior of subsidence (even exceeding 20 mm/yr) with high spatial resolution in the southeastern Po Plain. The uplifting behavior of the Apennines chain bordering the Po Plain is identified together with a narrow zone separating the contrasting vertical crustal movements.