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<p>Neom City is currently under construction in northwestern Saudi Arabia, located at the intersection of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba, a tectonically and seismically active region. Sparse Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and seismometer coverage limits the ability to assess present-day ground deformation across the Midyan Peninsula, motivating the use of satellite-based geodetic techniques. We employed the multi-temporal Differential Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (DInSAR) technique. Interferograms were generated using Sentinel-1 ascending and descending tracks (2016–2023) to quantify surface deformation and integrate these results with basin-scale hypsometric analysis to evaluate neotectonic activity and geomorphic response. Approximately 3,900 interferograms were processed using an SBAS method to generate displacement time series and mean velocity fields. DInSAR results show no significant (&lt; 1&#xa0;mm/year, within measurement uncertainty) vertical displacement across fault blocks associated with the Gulf of Aqaba transform system. In contrast, the Miocene Bad Formation is experiencing uplift of 1.5–2.0 ± 0.5&#xa0;mm/year evaporite uplift in the southern part of Bad Formation, decreasing to 0.6 ± 0.5&#xa0;mm/year northward. This stable signal indicates a long-term process related to changes in evaporite rocks, specifically the movement of salt and/or the hydration of anhydrite, rather than tectonic. It should be noted, however, that this geodetic observation window (2016–2023) represents an interseismic snapshot and does not imply long-term tectonic inactivity along the Dead Sea Transform. Hypsometric indices and curves show elevated values and youthful to mature basins adjacent to the Aragonese Deep indicating active tectonic forcing, while basins draining toward the Red Sea display lower indices indicative of more advanced erosion and weaker lithologic controls. The combined results of geodetic and geomorphic analyses indicates that the deformation observed from 2016 to 2023 in the Midyan Peninsula is primarily characterized by evaporite-induced uplift in the Bad’ Formation; no significant vertical displacement was recorded across major fault blocks during this timeframe, aligning with interseismic strain accumulation along the Dead Sea Transform instead of tectonic inactivity.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p> <p>This graphical abstract provides a visual summary of the study that integrates multi-temporal SBAS InSAR and basin hypsometry to evaluate present-day surface deformation across the Midyan Peninsula (NW Saudi Arabia), along the Red Sea–Gulf of Aqaba margin. The left panel identifies the study area and primary datasets, including ascending and descending Sentinel-1 IW SLC acquisitions (2016–2023) and a 30 m SRTM DEM. The central panel outlines the analysis workflow: SBAS time-series inversion is used to estimate line-of-sight deformation, which is then converted to vertical velocity, while hypsometric curves/indices are derived from the DEM to compare basin-scale geomorphic responses across the region. The right panel summarizes the key results. Vertical velocities indicate a localized uplift signal within the Bad’ Formation ranging 0.6–2.0&#xa0;mm/year, highlighted on the deformation map, whereas most regional fault-block vertical separation remains near the detection threshold (≤ 1&#xa0;mm/year) and is therefore interpreted cautiously. Hypsometric patterns show higher HI values near the Aragonese Deep and lower values toward the Red Sea, supporting stronger segmentation of basin evolution toward the Gulf of Aqaba margin. Overall, the graphical abstract emphasizes the main takeaway of the paper: millimeter-scale InSAR signals can be dominated by evaporite-related processes in stratigraphically controlled units, and small deformation rates should be interpreted within their geologic and geomorphic context rather than attributed to tectonics alone.</p>

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Understand Surface Deformation of Midyan Peninsula, Northwestern Saudi Arabia Using Differential Interferometry and Hypsometric Index

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年5月18日

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  • Saad Alabbasi,
  • Shuhab D. Khan,
  • Osman Tirmizi

摘要

Neom City is currently under construction in northwestern Saudi Arabia, located at the intersection of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba, a tectonically and seismically active region. Sparse Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and seismometer coverage limits the ability to assess present-day ground deformation across the Midyan Peninsula, motivating the use of satellite-based geodetic techniques. We employed the multi-temporal Differential Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (DInSAR) technique. Interferograms were generated using Sentinel-1 ascending and descending tracks (2016–2023) to quantify surface deformation and integrate these results with basin-scale hypsometric analysis to evaluate neotectonic activity and geomorphic response. Approximately 3,900 interferograms were processed using an SBAS method to generate displacement time series and mean velocity fields. DInSAR results show no significant (< 1 mm/year, within measurement uncertainty) vertical displacement across fault blocks associated with the Gulf of Aqaba transform system. In contrast, the Miocene Bad Formation is experiencing uplift of 1.5–2.0 ± 0.5 mm/year evaporite uplift in the southern part of Bad Formation, decreasing to 0.6 ± 0.5 mm/year northward. This stable signal indicates a long-term process related to changes in evaporite rocks, specifically the movement of salt and/or the hydration of anhydrite, rather than tectonic. It should be noted, however, that this geodetic observation window (2016–2023) represents an interseismic snapshot and does not imply long-term tectonic inactivity along the Dead Sea Transform. Hypsometric indices and curves show elevated values and youthful to mature basins adjacent to the Aragonese Deep indicating active tectonic forcing, while basins draining toward the Red Sea display lower indices indicative of more advanced erosion and weaker lithologic controls. The combined results of geodetic and geomorphic analyses indicates that the deformation observed from 2016 to 2023 in the Midyan Peninsula is primarily characterized by evaporite-induced uplift in the Bad’ Formation; no significant vertical displacement was recorded across major fault blocks during this timeframe, aligning with interseismic strain accumulation along the Dead Sea Transform instead of tectonic inactivity.

Graphical Abstract

This graphical abstract provides a visual summary of the study that integrates multi-temporal SBAS InSAR and basin hypsometry to evaluate present-day surface deformation across the Midyan Peninsula (NW Saudi Arabia), along the Red Sea–Gulf of Aqaba margin. The left panel identifies the study area and primary datasets, including ascending and descending Sentinel-1 IW SLC acquisitions (2016–2023) and a 30 m SRTM DEM. The central panel outlines the analysis workflow: SBAS time-series inversion is used to estimate line-of-sight deformation, which is then converted to vertical velocity, while hypsometric curves/indices are derived from the DEM to compare basin-scale geomorphic responses across the region. The right panel summarizes the key results. Vertical velocities indicate a localized uplift signal within the Bad’ Formation ranging 0.6–2.0 mm/year, highlighted on the deformation map, whereas most regional fault-block vertical separation remains near the detection threshold (≤ 1 mm/year) and is therefore interpreted cautiously. Hypsometric patterns show higher HI values near the Aragonese Deep and lower values toward the Red Sea, supporting stronger segmentation of basin evolution toward the Gulf of Aqaba margin. Overall, the graphical abstract emphasizes the main takeaway of the paper: millimeter-scale InSAR signals can be dominated by evaporite-related processes in stratigraphically controlled units, and small deformation rates should be interpreted within their geologic and geomorphic context rather than attributed to tectonics alone.