Satellite-based vertical land motion for infrastructure monitoring: a prototype roadmap in Greater Houston, Texas

Abstract

Coastal regions are critical hubs for industries reliant on transport and storage. However, vital infrastructure including above-ground storage tanks (ASTs), which store hazardous materials, is vulnerable to flooding and often exacerbated by subsidence (negative vertical land motion; VLM). The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency plays a key role in mitigating risks from ASTs. Satellite remote sensing provides a powerful tool to assess hazards and inform decision-making. Here, we present a roadmap for integrating remotely-sensed observations into decision-making frameworks. Using NASA observational products for end-users from remote sensing analysis (OPERA) VLM products derived from Sentinel-1, we map VLM at ~ 30 m resolution across Greater Houston–Galveston. Our analysis reveals widespread, spatially varying subsidence. We determine where VLM trends were linear from 2016 to 2023 and extrapolate them to estimate future VLM. Combining sea-level rise (SLR) scenarios with VLM data, we estimate that by 2050 ASTs in the region will experience at least 26.1 cm of relative SLR, with 10 (14.9%) exposed to more than 60 cm. Integrating a hydrodynamic model with spatially varying relative SLR shows that flooding hazards are amplified during a Hurricane Harvey-like event under future conditions. Overall, we demonstrate the importance of incorporating high-resolution VLM into hazard assessments to support decision-making.