Satellite-based vertical land motion for infrastructure monitoring: A prototype roadmap in Greater Houston, Texas - Metadata entry

In this study, we present a prototype roadmap for integrating remotely sensed observations into decision-making frameworks. Using OPERA VLM products derived from Sentinel-1, we map VLM rates and uncertainties at ~30 m resolution across the Greater Houston-Galveston region.. Our analysis reveals widespread but spatially varying subsidence, with differing impacts on ASTs. We apply a metric to estimate that VLM from April 2016 to November 2023 is predominantly linear, allowing future extrapolation of VLM rates. Combining future sea-level rise (SLR) scenarios with VLM data, we estimate that by 2050, ASTs in the region will experience at least 26.1 cm of relative SLR, with 10 (14.9%) exposed to more than 60 cm. Finally, we illustrate the value of integrating hydrodynamic models with spatially varying relative SLR, finding that flooding hazards are substantially amplified during a simulated Hurricane Harvey–like event under future conditions. Overall, we demonstrate the importance of incorporating high-resolution VLM data into hazard assessments to support near- and long-term decision-making. Our approach provides actionable insights for enhancing resilience to subsidence, RSLR, and associated flooding risks in Greater Houston/Galveston and other vulnerable coastal areas.