Differential Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry to Investigate Surface Deformation of the Eastern Snake River Plain, Idaho, USA

摘要

The Eastern Snake River Plain (ESRP) is a northeast-trending volcanic basin that marks the track of the Yellowstone hotspot. Subsidence has characterized the ESRP since at least 4 Ma. To test whether subsidence of the ESRP surface is an active process, synthetic aperture radar interferometry has been applied to detect deformation during 1993-2000. Results show that no regionally consistent deformation occurred across the ESRP during the periods of observations. However, local displacements of 1-3-cm magnitude have been detected in the adjacent Basin-Range province. This deformation is not attributed to long-term movement of the ESRP but instead to local tectonic and/or groundwater processes.