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Satellite-based vertical land motion for infrastructure monitoring: A case study in Houston, Texas
Citation:
Buzzanga, B., F. Kremer, M. Govorcin, D. Bekaert, B. Schaeffer, P. Milillio, J. Schubert, B. Sanders, A. Handwerger, AND S. Chan. Satellite-based vertical land motion for infrastructure monitoring: A case study in Houston, Texas. American Geophysical Union, Washington, DC, DC, December 09 - 13, 2024.
Impact/Purpose:
Houston is subsiding rapidly, but at different rates throughout the city, worsening exposure to coastal flooding. Subsidence is primarily linear from 2016 through 2023 enabling projection by incorporation with IPCC Scenario SSP 2-4.5. State-of-the-art modeling shows substantial effects of vertical land motion on future flood vulnerability. Critical infrastructure is increasingly vulnerable to flooding due to vertical land motion-driven relative sea level rise, increasing economic and environmental vulnerability.
Description:
Along with oceanic changes, subsidence and uplift - vertical land motion (VLM) - drives spatial variation in sea level change that affects flood risk for crucial infrastructure. Given the vulnerability of the coastal infrastructure due to vertical land motion and relative sea-level rise, protecting the integrity of this infrastructure is vital to limit economic disruption and facility releases. Integrating satellite-based measurement of vertical land motion with relative sea-level rise will improve assessment, preparedness, and management of at-risk infrastructure, minimizing environmental and economic impacts.