Napredno Insar opazovanje pregrade Lisiče v Severni Makedoniji

Advanced InSAR Monitoring of the Lisice Dam in North Macedonia

Author(s):

Tome Gegovski, Zlatko Bogdanovski

Abstract:

Ensuring the long-term stability of dams is vital for public safety and water management. Conventional geodetic techniques, though accurate, have limited spatial and temporal coverage, underscoring the need for advanced monitoring solutions. This study presents the first application of advanced InSAR techniques for dam monitoring in North Macedonia, focusing on the Lisiche Dam. A total of 466 Sentinel-1 SLC images from the ascending orbit and 467 from the descending orbit fot the period 2014–2025 were processed using PSInSAR and QPSInSAR approaches. Both geometries indicate stability at the abutments, spillway, and surrounding terrain, while subsidence over 20 cm was detected at the central crest, averaging about 2 cm per year. These results align with expected settlement in earth-fill dams, but require validation through in-situ measurements. Limitations of InSAR were also observed, including low coherence in vegetated slopes surrounding the dam and the absence of PS points on the dam body. To overcome these challenges, the installation of corner reflectors is recommended. Overall, the findings confirm that InSAR is a reliable and cost-effective complementary tool that should be integrated into future dam monitoring frameworks in North Macedonia.

Keywords:

PSInSAR, QPSInSAR, Dam monitoring, Sentinel-1, Time-series analysis, Remote sensing

DOI: 10.15292/geodetski-vestnik.2026.01.31-46

Citation:

Tome Gegovski, Zlatko Bogdanovski (2026). Napredno Insar opazovanje pregrade Lisiče v Severni Makedoniji. | Advanced InSAR Monitoring of the Lisice Dam in North Macedonia. Geodetski vestnik, 70 (1), 31-46. DOI: 10.15292/geodetski-vestnik.2026.01.31-46