Identification and deformation analysis of potential landslides after the Jiuzhaigou earthquake by SBAS-InSAR

A World Natural Heritage Site, Jiuzhaigou, is the first nature reserve in China whose primary purpose is to protect natural scenery. On August 8, 2017, a M_s 7.0 earthquake caused many unstable slopes in Jiuzhaigou, Sichuan Province, China. In the extreme storm conditions that follow, the unstable slopes tend to develop into potential landslides, which can cause many casualties and property losses in scenic areas. Sentinel-1A ascending orbit data were obtained in this paper to establish a SAR database. The large-scale deformation rate map of the study area was obtained using a small baseline set InSAR technology. The potential landslides in the deformation area are preliminarily confirmed with remote sensing interpretation. The field verification is further carried out by studying the deformation information of the characteristic points on the potential landslides. The results show that 13 deformation zones were preliminarily identified, and three typical deformation zones were selected for coupling verification and identified as potential landslides. At the same time, further analysis shows that the four potential landslides have been in continuous linear deformation for a long time since the earthquake, posing a severe threat to the safety of local people's lives and property. The research results provide a reference for the early identification and warning of potential landslides in earthquake-prone regions.