Surface deformation across Germany

Based on ‘Persistent Scatterer Interferometry’ radar data from the Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission, this is the first nationwide map of ground surface deformation. The map shows how the land surface shifted in millimetres a year between 2014 and 2018. The subsidence shown in red in the Ruhr area in the west of the country is because of open pit lignite mining accompanied by groundwater lowering. Blue patches in the adjacent area are likely to be related to the rise of groundwater after mining activities ceased.

Read full story: Germany land motion mapped