Title
SAR interferometry monitoring of subsidence in a detritic basin related to water depletion in the underlying confined carbonate aquifer (Torremolinos, southern Spain)
Author
Ruiz-Constán, A.
Ruiz-Armenteros, A.M.
Martos-Rosillo, S.
Galindo-Zaldívar, J.
Lazecky, M.
García, M.
Sousa, J.J.
Sanz de Galdeano, C.
Delgado-Blasco, J.M.
Jiménez-Gavilán, P.
Caro-Cuenca, M.
Luque-Espinar, J.A.
Publication year
2018
Abstract
This research underlines the need to improve water management policies for areas linked to confined karstic aquifers subjected to intensive exploitation, and to develop additional efforts towards monitoring their subsidence evolution. We analyze subsidence related to intensive use of groundwater in a confined karstic aquifer, through the use of the InSAR technique, by the southern coast of Spain (Costa del Sol). Carbonates are overlain by an unconfined detritic aquifer with interlayered high transmissivity rocks, in connection with the Mediterranean Sea, where the water level is rather stable. Despite this, an accumulated deformation in the line-of-sight (LOS) direction greater than −100 mm was observed by means of the ERS-1/2 (1992–2000) and Envisat (2003–2009) satellite SAR sensors. During this period, the Costa del Sol experienced a major population increase due to the expansion of the tourism industry, with the consequent increase in groundwater exploitation. The maximum LOS displacement rates recorded during both time spans are respectively −6 mm/yr and −11 mm/yr, respectively. During the entire period, there was an accumulated descent of the confined water level of 140 m, and several fluctuations of more than 80 m correlating with the subsidence trend observed for the whole area. Main sedimentary depocenters (up to 800 m), revealed by gravity prospecting, partly coincide with areas of subsidence maxima; yet ground deformation is also influenced by other factors, the main ones being the fine-grained facies distribution and rapid urbanization due to high touristic pressure. © 2018 Elsevier B.V.
Subject
Betic Cordillera
Confined carbonate aquifer
Detritic aquifer
InSAR
Radar
Rapid urbanization
Aquifers
Deformation
Geodetic satellites
Hydrogeology
Radar
Sols
Subsidence
Synthetic aperture radar
Water levels
Water management
Betic Cordillera
Carbonate aquifer
Confined water levels
Groundwater exploitation
Intensive exploitations
Rapid urbanizations
Water management policy
Groundwater resources
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http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:79973f99-bde1-4d8b-b25e-2609178c5560
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.04.280
TNO identifier
788754
Publisher
Elsevier B.V.
ISSN
0048-9697
Source
Science of the Total Environment, 636, 670-687
Document type
article