Ecuador quake observed by Sentinel-1

We have created a new Sentinel-1 interferogram capturing the massive earthquake that hit Ecuador on 16 April with a magnitude of 7.8. Two Sentinel-1 images have been used in the GEP: one pre event acquired by the satellite on 12 April and the other post event, on 24 April.

The quake occurred as the result of shallow thrust faulting on or near the plate boundary between the Nazca and South America plates, according to the USGS. Ecuador lies above the plate boundary where the Nazca Plate subducts beneath the South American Plate at a velocity of 61 mm/yr. At least 654 people were killed and more than 16,600 were injured, this quake was the worst natural disaster in Ecuador since the 1949 Ambato earthquake.

The Sentinel mission marks a new era in remote sensing aid for disaster response. These satellites play a crucial role in helping manage natural disasters because they provide timely information that can be rapidly processed. The results obtained with interferometry allow the monitoring of ground motion, down to a few mm, on wide areas. This type of information is essential for monitoring shifts from earthquakes, landslides, and volcanic uplift, among others.

In the last year we have seen some impressive InSAR results from Sentinel-1A, the first from this two-satellite constellation, that has been in orbit for two years. On 25 April its identical twin Sentinel-1B was launched. With the two satellites in orbit we will now receive double the amount of data and achieve global coverage in six days.