Data on Time-series Observation of Ground Subsidence in South Korea Using Sentinel-1 SAR Observations

Ground subsidence is a phenomenon where surface materials sink due to a combination of natural and anthropogenic factors. South Korea has experienced human casualties and economic losses due to ground subsidence, such as sinkholes. Moreover, with the recent increase in earthquakes in the country, the importance of collecting and analyzing data for monitoring ground subsidence and surface displacement for disaster prevention is growing. This study monitored ground subsidence that occurred in South Korea from January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2022, while also observing other surface displacements. The study utilized synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite data, which, due to its high penetration capabilities of microwaves, is relatively unaffected by weather and day-night conditions, enabling wide-area observation with high spatial resolution, making it suitable for monitoring surface displacements. A total of 321 C-band Sentinel-1 SAR images, obtained between January 1, 2021 and December 31, 2022, were analyzed. Based on a perpendicular baseline distance of 200 meters and a time interval of 100 days, small baseline subset network were created. Time-series surface displacement data and velocity maps were produced to analyze the overall displacement patterns in the study areas.