For example, our wide-area monitoring technique could be used to help identify and monitor ground instability issues along the whole stretch of the proposed HS2 route. Alternatively, regular monitoring using satellite techniques to track the vertical motion of the ground can be used to monitor the health of peatlands and detect landslides.ĭr Stephen Grebby, Assistant Professor in Earth Observation and lead university investigator on the project, explained the significance of the study, ‘Tracking ground motion is also important for a wide range of other applications such as monitoring infrastructure, and this is not just limited to Scotland. In addition, they can help the oil and gas industry engage with local communities to show that good practice is in place and their activities are having little effect upon the environment.

Although recently banned in Scotland, maps like this can help to screen locations to inform government regulators whether fracking can be reasonably monitored and deployed safely in other parts of the UK and around the world. For instance, there is a perceived threat of subsidence and a potential risk of earth tremors related to fracking – the practice of extracting oil and gas from shale rock. The map was created to illustrate the problems facing governments when regulating onshore oil and gas production and storage in a modern landscape influenced by industrial and land management practices.

Motion map