Time - series InSAR - based monitoring and analysis of surface deformation in the Axi mining area, Xinjiang.

The Axi mining area in Xinjiang has a complex geographical environment. The long - term exploitation of mineral resources has caused severe ground subsidence and deformation in the mining area, as well as safety hazards of mining and production and the destruction of the surrounding ecological environment. This study aims to further investigate and analyze the spatial - temporal variation characteristics of the ground subsidence and the patterns of surface deformation in the Axi mining area. To this end, this study first calculated the land subsidence using the small baseline subset - interferometric synthetic aperture Radar ( SB AS - InSAR) technique based on the 127 scenes descending Sentinel - 1A images acquired from February 9, 2017 to April 25, 2021. Then, it compared the subsidence monitoring results obtained using the InSAR technique with the leveling results for verification. Finally, this study analyzed the spatial - temporal variation characteristics of land subsidence in the Axi mining area in recent five years and investigated the driving factors for the land subsidence. The results show that the surface deformation of the Axi mining area showed a roughly stable trend and significant local subsidence throughout the monitoring period. The main factors affecting the ground subsidence included mineral exploitation, geological structure, precipitation, and the impoundment of open - pit mines. This study will provide a scientific basis for ground subsidence monitoring and the future proper exploitation of underground minerals in the Axi mining area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]