Abstract
Large-scale ground deformation in Iceland is dominated by extensional
plate-boundary deformation, where the Mid-Atlantic Ridge crosses the
island, and by uplift due to glacial isostatic adjustment from thinning
and retreat of glaciers. While this deformation is mostly steady over
multiple years, it is modulated by smaller-scale transient deformation
associated with e.g., earthquakes, volcanic unrest, and geothermal
exploitation. Here we combine countrywide Sentinel-1 interferometric
synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) data (from six tracks) from 2015 to
2021 with continuous GPS observations to produce time-series of
displacements across Iceland. The InSAR results were improved in a
two-step tropospheric mitigation procedure, using (1) global atmospheric
models to reduce long-wavelength and topography-correlated tropospheric
signals, and (2) modeling of the stochastic properties of the residual
troposphere. Our results significantly improve upon earlier country-wide
InSAR results, which were based on InSAR stacking, as we use more data,
better data weighting, and advanced InSAR corrections to produce
time-series of ground displacements instead of just velocities. We fuse
the three ascending and three descending track results to estimate maps
of near-East and vertical velocities, which clearly show the large-scale
extension and GIA deformation. Using a revised plate-spreading and
glacial isostatic adjustment models, based on these new ground velocity
maps, we remove the large-scale and steady deformation from the InSAR
time-series and analyze the remaining transient deformations. Our
results demonstrate the importance of (1) mitigating InSAR tropospheric
signals over Iceland and of (2) solving for time-series of deformation,
not just velocities, as multiple transient deformation processes are
present.