Ground motion baseline analysis of the Cheshire UK GeoEnergy Observatory

Subsurface geonergy can induce ground motion and seismicity, however a scarcity of observations usually obscures the mechanisms underpinning such behaviour. Here, we analyse Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) data from ERS, ENVISAT and Sentinel-1 satellites for the period 1995–2017 and interpret ground deformation in the area of the planned Cheshire UK GeoEnergy Observatory ahead of facility contruction. Ground motion is dominated by the compaction of tidal flat deposits overlying two paleo-valleys, trending NNW–SSE. The western paleo-valley experienced faster subsidence rates in the period 1995–2007, whereas the eastern paleo-valley subsided faster in the period 2016–2017. The research highlights how baseline assessment can help differentiate natural variation from any anthropogenic effects associated with the growth of new subsurface technologies.