Beccaro et al. (2026) Assessing English peatland dynamics using MT-InSAR

Identification

• Journal: Remote Sensing of Environment
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-04-11
• Authors: Lisa Beccaro, Christian Bignami, Cristiano Tolomei, Stefano Salvi, Paolo Riccardi, Fred Worrall, Gerardo López Saldaña
• DOI: 10.1016/j.rse.2026.115414

Research Groups

• Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, ONT, Rome, Italy
• Sarmap SA, Caslano, Switzerland
• University of Durham, Department of Earth Sciences, Durham, United Kingdom
• Assimila Ltd, Reading, United Kingdom

Short Summary

This study applies the Enhanced Persistent Scatterers (E-PS) multi-temporal Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (MT-InSAR) method to three English peatland sites, revealing widespread ground subsidence (up to -10 mm/year) driven by vegetation degradation, land management practices, and fluctuating water levels, indicating that peat degradation currently outpaces formation.

Objective

• To assess the health conditions and investigate the potential drivers controlling ground motions in challenging English peatland environments using MT-InSAR, integrated with auxiliary remote-sensing and ground-based data.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Three moorland sites in England (Moor House blanket bog, Saddleworth blanket bog, Hatfield-Thorne raised bog). Moor House covers 74 km², Hatfield-Thorne covers approximately 3300 ha. InSAR ground resolution is 15 m.
• Temporal Scale: Sentinel-1 SAR data acquired from June 2017 to December 2024 (up to 8 years). Specific periods: Moor House (January 2021 – December 2024), Saddleworth (June 2017 – December 2024), Hatfield-Thorne (June 2017 – December 2024, split into two overlapping periods).

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Enhanced Persistent Scatterers (E-PS) multi-temporal Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (MT-InSAR) method, integrated into SARscape® V. 6.1.0 software.
• Data sources:
  • Satellite: ESA Sentinel-1 SAR (C-band, ascending and descending orbits), Sentinel-2 optical images (SWIR bands).
  • Auxiliary: Natural England peat-containing soils map (2024), England Peat Map Portal (land cover classification, drainage grips), Marshall et al. (2024) soil samples and vegetation species data, Google Earth® basemap, European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) database (wildfire boundaries), piezometer water level data (Hatfield-Thorne).
  • Validation: Copernicus Land Monitoring Service European Ground Motion Service (EGMS) Ortho Vertical products (100 m resolution, RMSE ≤ 5 mm).

Main Results

• Widespread ground subsidence was observed across all three investigated peatland areas, with rates up to -10 mm/year, indicating that peat degradation currently exceeds peat formation.
• For Moor House, average subsidence rates were around -5 mm/year, showing a direct correlation between greater peat thicknesses and higher negative cumulative displacements. Land-use practices (e.g., drainage, controlled burning) were identified as influencing subsidence rates. Specific vegetation species (Calluna vulgaris and Eriophorum spp.) were found to act as stable scatterers for C-band InSAR, enabling high measurement point density.
• In Saddleworth, subsidence reached -10 mm/year in some areas. Wildfire events (e.g., June 2018) led to increased subsidence rates and/or reduced interferometric noise post-event due to the removal of protective vegetation and exposure of bare peat. Uplift signals (2-3 mm/year) were observed in adjacent areas undergoing long-term restoration efforts.
• Hatfield-Thorne moors experienced subsidence ranging from -2.5 mm/year to -5 mm/year. Small fluctuations in displacement time series were correlated with seasonal water level changes, with the peat surface not fully recovering to its initial state after seasonal cycles. The presence of open water and localized heather distribution resulted in a lower measurement point density compared to blanket bogs. A wildfire in May 2020 did not show post-event subsidence acceleration, highlighting heterogeneous responses.
• E-PS time series showed good agreement with EGMS data, with RMSE values generally below 4.4 mm, while providing a significantly higher spatial resolution and measurement point density.

Contributions

• This study represents the first application of the Enhanced Persistent Scatterers (E-PS) MT-InSAR technique to peatlands, demonstrating its effectiveness in obtaining good measurement point density over highly vegetated surfaces.
• It identifies specific vegetation species (Calluna vulgaris and possibly Eriophorum spp.) as relatively stable scatterers for C-band SAR, which is crucial for detailed InSAR analyses in these challenging environments.
• The research provides comprehensive, long-term (up to 8 years) ground deformation insights for three distinct English peatland types, correlating observed subsidence patterns with environmental and anthropogenic drivers such as vegetation degradation, land-use practices (wildfires, drainage, management), peat thickness, and water level fluctuations.
• The findings contribute to understanding peatland health and degradation processes, supporting monitoring and restoration efforts in these vital carbon sinks.

Funding

• European Space Agency (ESA) WorldPeatland project (ESA Contract No. 4000141937/23/I-DT).

Citation

@article{Beccaro2026Assessing,
  author = {Beccaro, Lisa and Bignami, Christian and Tolomei, Cristiano and Salvi, Stefano and Riccardi, Paolo and Worrall, Fred and Saldaña, Gerardo López},
  title = {Assessing English peatland dynamics using MT-InSAR},
  journal = {Remote Sensing of Environment},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1016/j.rse.2026.115414},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2026.115414}
}