Ground deformation monitoring of landslides and precipitation-triggered mechanisms using GBInSAR

Landslides are common in mountainous, hilly, and steep-slope regions, posing serious threats to human life, infrastructure, and ecological systems. Precipitation is a major triggering factor that can rapidly destabilize slopes by increasing moisture content and reducing soil shear strength. This study proposes an integrated landslide monitoring framework that combines satellite-borne InSAR for regional-scale detection, GB-InSAR for high-density dynamic monitoring, GNSS for precise three-dimensional ground deformation constraints, and rain-gauge observations for precipitation forcing characterization, with the aim of improving monitoring accuracy, spatiotemporal resolution, and early-warning capability. The results reveal a clear temporal correspondence between rainfall events and landslide displacement: during precipitation peaks (0.4 mm and 0.3 mm), displacement increased to approximately +25 mm and +35 mm, indicating direct rainfall-driven deformation responses. GB-InSAR further captures pronounced spatial heterogeneity across the landslide body, with maximum cumulative displacement reaching +656.3 mm and minimum displacement −1098.17 mm. GNSS measurements corroborate these deformation patterns, particularly during the acceleration stage when the trends derived from GNSS and GB-InSAR are highly consistent. Overall, multi-source evidence indicates that both short-duration intense rainfall and long-term precipitation accumulation contribute to landslide activity, with precipitation capable of inducing not only rapid displacement surges but also slower deformation under low-rainfall conditions. These findings provide a robust basis for landslide early warning and risk assessment in regions frequently affected by intense rainfall and sustained wet periods.

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Publication Details

Journal
Frontiers in Earth Science
Published
2026-01-20
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2026.1753837
Primary Topic
Landslides and related hazards
Type
article
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article

Ground deformation monitoring of landslides and precipitation-triggered mechanisms using GBInSAR

Yaping Dai, Ziwei Zhao, Di Yao
Frontiers in Earth Science
Landslides and related hazards
article

Ground deformation monitoring of landslides and precipitation-triggered mechanisms using GBInSAR

Yaping Dai, Ziwei Zhao, Di Yao
article en

Abstract

Landslides are common in mountainous, hilly, and steep-slope regions, posing serious threats to human life, infrastructure, and ecological systems. Precipitation is a major triggering factor that can rapidly destabilize slopes by increasing moisture content and reducing soil shear strength. This study proposes an integrated landslide monitoring framework that combines satellite-borne InSAR for regional-scale detection, GB-InSAR for high-density dynamic monitoring, GNSS for precise three-dimensional ground deformation constraints, and rain-gauge observations for precipitation forcing characterization, with the aim of improving monitoring accuracy, spatiotemporal resolution, and early-warning capability. The results reveal a clear temporal correspondence between rainfall events and landslide displacement: during precipitation peaks (0.4 mm and 0.3 mm), displacement increased to approximately +25 mm and +35 mm, indicating direct rainfall-driven deformation responses. GB-InSAR further captures pronounced spatial heterogeneity across the landslide body, with maximum cumulative displacement reaching +656.3 mm and minimum displacement −1098.17 mm. GNSS measurements corroborate these deformation patterns, particularly during the acceleration stage when the trends derived from GNSS and GB-InSAR are highly consistent. Overall, multi-source evidence indicates that both short-duration intense rainfall and long-term precipitation accumulation contribute to landslide activity, with precipitation capable of inducing not only rapid displacement surges but also slower deformation under low-rainfall conditions. These findings provide a robust basis for landslide early warning and risk assessment in regions frequently affected by intense rainfall and sustained wet periods.

Frontiers in Earth ScienceVol. 14
Beijing Institute of Technology (CN), Innovative Research (United States) (US)
Industry, innovation and infrastructure
Openalex Percentile: Top 87%
Landslides and related hazards
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Ground deformation monitoring of landslides and precipitation-triggered mechanisms using GBInSAR — Yaping Dai, Ziwei Zhao, et al. · Frontiers in Earth Science (2026) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS