Long-term InSAR monitoring for Local-scale Groundwater Production
Management: A Case Study in Hollywood Basin, California
Abstract
We demonstrate the effectiveness of long-term continuous interferometric
Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) monitoring for local resource
management. Sustainable yield is a key concept in groundwater management
to ensure sustainable, low-impact groundwater extraction. This study
proposes to estimate sustainable yield using InSAR, combined with local
groundwater production data. We apply this method to the Hollywood Basin
in Los Angeles, California, leveraging nearly 30 years of InSAR data
(1992–2023) to investigate ground deformation linked to groundwater
extraction. High spatial InSAR measurements reveal deforming regions
linked to anthropogenic activities previously not well-characterized by
in-situ observation networks. By integrating InSAR data with production
records, we estimate the sustainable yield for the basin to be 1,211 to
1,394 acre-feet per year, significantly lower than the current operating
safe yield of 3,000 acre-feet per year. Utilizing Independent Component
Analysis (ICA), we are able to distinguish hydrological signals
originating from the deep and shallow aquifers in the Hollywood Basin.
Our findings demonstrate the effectiveness of InSAR for long-term
monitoring of anthropogenic deformation and for supporting urban
planning and resource management.