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Global sea level provides an important indicator of the state of the warming climate, but changes in regional sea level are most relevant for coastal communities around the world. With improvements to the sea-level observing system, the knowledge of regional sea-level change has advanced dramatically in recent years. Satellite measurements coupled with in situ observations have allowed for comprehensive study and improved understanding of the diverse set of drivers that lead to variations in sea level in space and time. Despite the advances, gaps in the understanding of contemporary sea-level change remain and inhibit the ability to predict how the relevant processes may lead to future change. These gaps arise in part due to the complexity of the linkages between the drivers of sea-level change. Here we review the individual processes which lead to sea-level change and then describe how they combine and vary regionally. The intent of the paper is to provide an overview of the current state of understanding of the processes that cause regional sea-level change and to identify and discuss limitations and uncertainty in our understanding of these processes. Areas where the lack of understanding or gaps in knowledge inhibit the ability to provide the needed information for comprehensive planning efforts are of particular focus. Finally, a goal of this paper is to highlight the role of the expanded sea-level observation network-particularly as related to satellite observations-in the improved scientific understanding of the contributors to regional sea-level change.

InSAR analysis improves California coastal subsidence rate measurement; this can refine relative sea-level rise rate estimates., Coastal vertical land motion affects projections of sea-level rise, and subsidence exacerbates flooding hazards. Along the ~1350-km California coastline, records of high-resolution vertical land motion rates are scarce due to sparse instrumentation, and hazards to coastal communities are underestimated. Here, we considered a ~100-km-wide swath of land along California’s coast and performed a multitemporal interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) analysis of large datasets, obtaining estimates of vertical land motion rates for California’s entire coast at ~100-m dimensions—a ~1000-fold resolution improvement to the previous record. We estimate between 4.3 million and 8.7 million people in California’s coastal communities, including 460,000 to 805,000 in San Francisco, 8000 to 2,300,00 in Los Angeles, and 2,000,000 to 2,300,000 in San Diego, are exposed to subsidence. The unprecedented detail and submillimeter accuracy resolved in our vertical land motion dataset can transform the analysis of natural and anthropogenic changes in relative sea-level and associated hazards.

The accelerated rate of decline in groundwater levels across California's Central Valley results from overdrafting and low rates of natural recharge and is exacerbated by droughts. The lack of observations with an adequate spatiotemporal resolution to constrain the evolution of groundwater resources poses severe challenges to water management efforts. Here we present SAR interferometric measurements of high‐resolution vertical land motion across the valley, revealing multiscale patterns of aquifer hydrogeological properties and groundwater storage change. Investigating the depletion and degradation of the aquifer‐system during 2007–2010, when the entire valley experienced a severe drought, we find that ~2% of total aquifer‐system storage was permanently lost, owing to irreversible compaction of the system. Over this period, the seasonal groundwater storage change amplitude of 10.11 ± 2.5 km3 modulates a long‐term groundwater storage decline of 21.32 ± 7.2 km3. Estimates for subbasins show more complex patterns, most likely associated with local hydrogeology, recharge, demand, and underground flow. Presented measurements of aquifer‐system compaction provide a more complete understanding of groundwater dynamics and can potentially be used to improve water security., Key Points Time‐dependent vertical land motion in California's Central Valley reflects the evolution of groundwater stocks during 2007–2010Drought‐related dynamics of the aquifer‐system across the valley are investigated using deformation and groundwater level dataRegional‐scale distribution of mechanical properties of the aquifer‐system is resolved.

Earthquakes influence hydrogeological processes and properties in Earth's crust, some of which affect surface waters. We document increased discharge in a stream after the 3 September 2016 Mw 5.8 earthquake near Pawnee, Oklahoma, an event likely induced by underground wastewater disposal. Discharge increased by an order of magnitude and remained elevated until the change was obscured by rain 1 week later. Given the earthquake magnitude and distance from the stream, by comparison with previous examples of responses to earthquakes, increased discharge after this earthquake is expected. While the mechanism increasing discharge cannot be confirmed, the observations require changes in physical properties of the subsurface. Fluid injection may thus influence hydrogeological properties of shallow groundwater systems and aquifers indirectly by inducing seismicity, if the induced seismic events are large enough.

© 2015. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved. The Lusi mud eruption, in East Java, Indonesia, began in May 2006 and continues to the present. Previous analyses of surface deformation data suggested an exponential decay of the pressure in the mud source but did not constrain the location, geometry, and evolution of the possible source(s) of the erupting mud and fluids. To map the surface deformation, we employ multitemporal interferometric synthetic aperture radar and analyze a well-populated L-band data set acquired by the Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS) between May 2006 and April 2011. We then apply a time-dependent inverse modeling scheme. Volume changes occur in two regions beneath Lusi, at 0.3-2.0km and 3.5-4.75km depth. The cumulative volume change within the shallow source is ∼2-3 times larger than that of the deep source. The observation and model suggest that a shallow source plays a key role by supplying the erupting mud, but that additional fluids do ascend from depths >4km on eruptive timescales. Key Points Spatiotemporal map of the surface deformation associated with Lusi mud eruption Time-dependent source model of the Lusi and nearby gas field Revealing the deep and shallow sources of the Lusi and characterizing their relationship.

Crustal deformation can be the result of volcanic and tectonic activity such as fault dislocation and magma intrusion. The crustal deformation may precede and/or succeed the earthquake occurrence and eruption. Mitigating the associated hazard, continuous monitoring of the crustal deformation accordingly has become an important task for geo-observatories and fast response systems. Due to highly non-linear behavior of the crustal deformation fields in time and space, which are not always measurable using conventional geodetic methods (e.g., Leveling), innovative techniques of monitoring and analysis are required. In this thesis I describe novel methods to improve the ability for precise and accurate mapping the spatiotemporal surface deformation field using multi acquisitions of satellite radar data. Furthermore, to better understand the source of such spatiotemporal deformation fields, I present novel static and time dependent model inversion approaches. Almost any interferograms include areas where the signal decorrelates and is distorted by atmospheric delay. In this thesis I detail new analysis methods to reduce the limitations of conventional InSAR, by combining the benefits of advanced InSAR methods such as the permanent scatterer InSAR (PSI) and the small baseline subsets (SBAS) with a wavelet based data filtering scheme. This novel InSAR time series methodology is applied, for instance, to monitor the non-linear deformation processes at Hawaii Island. The radar phase change at Hawaii is found to be due to intrusions, eruptions, earthquakes and flank movement processes and superimposed by significant environmental artifacts (e.g., atmospheric). The deformation field, I obtained using the new InSAR analysis method, is in good agreement with continuous GPS data. This provides an accurate spatiotemporal deformation field at Hawaii, which allows time dependent source modeling. Conventional source modeling methods usually deal with static deformation field, while retrieving the dynamics of the source requires more sophisticated time dependent optimization approaches. This problem I address by combining Monte Carlo based optimization approaches with a Kalman Filter, which provides the model parameters of the deformation source consistent in time. I found there are numerous deformation sources at Hawaii Island which are spatiotemporally interacting, such as volcano inflation is associated to changes in the rifting behavior, and temporally linked to silent earthquakes. I applied these new methods to other tectonic and volcanic terrains, most of which revealing the importance of associated or coupled deformation sources. The findings are 1) the relation between deep and shallow hydrothermal and magmatic sources underneath the Campi Flegrei volcano, 2) gravity-driven deformation at Damavand volcano, 3) fault interaction associated with the 2010 Haiti earthquake, 4) independent block wise flank motion at the Hilina Fault system, Kilauea, and 5) interaction between salt diapir and the 2005 Qeshm earthquake in southern Iran. This thesis, written in cumulative form including 9 manuscripts published or under review in peer reviewed journals, improves the techniques for InSAR time series analysis and source modeling and shows the mutual dependence between adjacent deformation sources. These findings allow more realistic estimation of the hazard associated with complex volcanic and tectonic systems. Oberflächendeformationen können eine Folge von vulkanischen und tektonischen Aktivitäten sein, wie etwa Plattenverschiebungen oder Magmaintrusion. Die Deformation der Erdkruste kann einem Erdbeben oder einem Vulkanausbruch vorausgehen und/oder folgen. Um damit drohende Gefahren für den Menschen zu verringern, ist die kontinuierliche Beobachtung von Krustendeformationen eine wichtige Aufgabe für Erdobservatorien und Fast-Responce-Systems geworden. Auf Grund des starken nicht-linearen Verhaltens von Oberflächendeformationsgebiet in Zeit und Raum, die mit konventionellen Methoden nicht immer erfasst werden (z.B., Nivellements), sind innovative Beobachtungs- und Analysetechniken erforderlich. In dieser Dissertation beschreibe ich Methoden, welche durch Mehrfachbeobachtungen der Erdoberfläche nit satellitengestützem Radar eine präzise und akkurate Abbildung der raumzeitlichen Oberflächendeformationen ermöglichen. Um die Bildung und Entwicklung von solchen raumzeitlichen Deformationsgebieten besser zu verstehen, zeige ich weiterhin neuartige Ansätze zur statischen und zeitabhängigen Modellinversion. Radar-Interferogramme weisen häufig Gebiete auf, in denen das Phasensignal dekorreliert und durch atmosphärische Laufzeitverzögerung verzerrt ist. In dieser Arbeit beschreibe ich wie Probleme des konventionellen InSAR überwunden werden können, indem fortgeschrittene InSAR-Methoden, wie das Permanent Scatterer InSAR (PSI) und Small Baseline Subsets (SBAS), mit einer Wavelet-basierten Datenfilterung verknüpft werden. Diese neuartige Analyse von InSAR Zeitreihen wird angewendet, um zum Beispiel nicht-lineare Deformationsprozesse auf Hawaii zu überwachen. Radar-Phasenänderungen, gemessen auf der Pazifikinsel, beruhen auf Magmaintrusion, Vulkaneruption, Erdbeben und Flankenbewegungsprozessen, welche durch signifikante Artefakte (z.B. atmosphärische) überlagert werden. Mit Hilfe der neuen InSAR-Analyse wurde ein Deformationsgebiet ermittelt, welches eine gute Übereinstimmung mit kontinuierlich gemessenen GPS-Daten aufweist. Auf der Grundlage eines solchen, mit hoher Genauigkeit gemessenen, raumzeitlichen Deformationsgebiets wird für Hawaii eine zeitabhängige Modellierung der Deformationsquelle ermöglicht. Konventionelle Methoden zur Modellierung von Deformationsquellen arbeiten normalerweise mit statischen Daten der Deformationsgebiete. Doch um die Dynamik einer Deformationsquelle zu untersuchen, sind hoch entwickelte zeitabhängige Optimierungsansätze notwendig. Dieses Problem bin ich durch eine Kombination von Monte-Carlo-basierten Optimierungsansätzen mit Kalman-Filtern angegangen, womit zeitlich konsistente Modellparameter der Deformationquelle gefunden werden. Ich fand auf der Insel Hawaii mehrere, raumzeitlich interagierende Deformationsquellen, etwa Vulkaninflation verknüpft mit Kluftbildungen und Veränderungen in bestehenden Klüften sowie zeitliche Korrelationen mit stillen Erdbeben. Ich wendete die neuen Methoden auf weitere tektonisch und vulkanisch aktive Gebiete an, wo häufig die eine Interaktion der Deformationsquellen nachgewiesen werden konnte und ihrer bedeutung untersucht wurde. Die untersuchten Gebiete und Deformationsquellen sind 1) tiefe und oberflächliche hydrothermale und magmatische Quellen unterhalb des Campi Flegrei Vulkans, 2) gravitationsbedingte Deformationen am Damawand Vulkan, 3) Störungsdynamik in Verbindung mit dem Haiti Beben im Jahr 2010, 4) unabhängige blockweise Flankenbewegung an der Hilina Störungszone, und 5) der Einfluss eines Salzdiapirs auf das Qeshm Erdbeben im Süd-Iran im Jahr 2005. Diese Dissertation, geschrieben als kumulative Arbeit von neun Manuskripten, welche entweder veröffentlicht oder derzeit in Begutachtung bei ‘peer-review’ Zeitschriften sind, technische Verbesserungen zur Analyse von InSAR Zeitreihen vor sowie zur Modellierung von Deformationsquellen. Sie zeigt die gegenseitige Beeinflussung von benachbarten Deformationsquellen, und sie ermöglicht, realistischere Einschätzungen von Naturgefahren, die von komplexen vulkanischen und tektonischen Systemen ausgehen.