Surface displacement of the Mw 7 Machaze earthquake (Mozambique): Complementary use of multiband InSAR and radar amplitude image correlation with elastic modelling.

Daniel Raucoules (1) , B. Ristori (2) , Marcello de Michele (1) , P. Briole (2)

1 BRGM - Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières (BRGM)
2 LGENS - Laboratoire de géologie de l'ENS

In this paper we investigate the surface displacement related to the 2006 Machaze earthquake using Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry (InSAR) and sub-pixel correlation (SPC) of radar amplitude images. We focus on surface displacement measurement during three stages of the seismic cycle. First, we examined the co-seismic stage, using an Advanced SAR (ASAR) sensor onboard the Envisat satellite. Then we investigated the post-seismic stage using the Phase Array L-band SAR sensor (PALSAR) onboard the ALOS satellite. Lastly, we focussed on the inter-seismic stage, prior to the earthquake by analysing the L20 and JERS-1 SAR data. The high degree of signal decorrelation in the C-band co-seismic interferogram hinders a correct positioning of the surface rupture and correct phase unwrapping. The post-seismic L-band interferograms reveal a time-constant surface displacement, causing subsidence of the surface at a ~ 5 cm/yr rate. This phenomenon continued to affect the close rupture field for at least two years following the earthquake and intrinsically reveals a candidate seismogenic fault trace that we use as a proxy for an inversion against an elastic dislocation model. Prior to the earthquake, the JERS interferograms do not indicate any traces of pre-seismic slip on the sismogenic fault. Therefore, slip after the earthquake is post seismic, and it was triggered by the Machaze earthquake. This feature represents a prominent post-seismic slip event rarely observed in such a geodynamic context.

Keywords: Machazé Earthquake; SAR interferometry; Image correlation; Dislocation model

Domains: Sciences of the Universe [physics]; Earth Sciences

Daniel Raucoules, B. Ristori, Marcello de Michele, P. Briole. Surface displacement of the Mw 7 Machaze earthquake (Mozambique): Complementary use of multiband InSAR and radar amplitude image correlation with elastic modelling.. Remote Sensing of Environment, 2010, 114 (10), pp.2211-2218. ⟨10.1016/j.rse.2010.04.023⟩. ⟨hal-00509818v2⟩