Temporal deformation of wink sinkholes in west texas observed by spaceborne SAR imagery

摘要

Sinkhole is ground depression and/or collapse over the subsurface cavity in the karst terrain underlain by the carbonates, evaporites, and other soluble soils and rocks. The geohazards have been considered as a “hidden threat” to human life, infrastructures and properties. Sinkholes in West Texas have developed due to the dissolution of the subsurface evaporite deposits in contact with groundwater. Two Wink sinkholes in Wink, Texas, collapsed in 1980 and 2002, respectively. However, monitoring the sinkholes in no man's lands has been challenging due to the lack of availability of appropriate ground-based or remote sensing observations. We employ spaceborne SAR imagery to capture the status quo and forthcoming evolution of Wink sinkholes and neighboring regions. Finally, our study discusses the relationship among the sinkhole deformation, anthropogenic activities, and natural causes taking place in dense oil patch region and with low precipitation.