The Palu-Koro fault behaviour monitoring associated with the 2018 Palu earthquake based on the multi-temporal planetscope and Landsat 8 satellite images

Abstract

The Palu-Koro Fault on Sulawesi Island possesses an extensive record of earthquake-related activity, notably the Palu earthquake on September 28, 2018, which was particularly destructive. This study investigates the evolution of this fault by using high-resolution PlanetScope and Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager/Therma Infrared Sensor (OLI/TIRS) images. By investigating the interseismic, coseismic, and postseismic stages of the earthquake's habits, this paper aims to obtain an in-depth understanding of its behavior. The coseismic displacement analysis, which was carried out alongside the optical image correlation technique, indicated major displacements throughout the Palu-Koro Fault, with the largest displacement of roughly 7 m. To ensure the accuracy of the results, internal verification standards, such as a reliability criterion of >30% and a mean structural similarity index (MSSIM) of 1, were used. Landsat 8 imagery was processed using the land surface temperature method to enhance the understanding of the earthquake phases. Prior to the earthquake, the results suggested a rise in temperature, which peaked during the coseismic phase and decreased progressively during the postseismic phase. Intriguingly, the temperature behavior revealed the possibility of using information from remote sensing as an alternative approach to identify the fault distribution in Palu City. Overall, this study demonstrates the utility of remote sensing data for analyzing the dynamics of the Palu-Koro Fault and understanding each stage of the 2018 Palu earthquake. By integrating high-resolution satellite imagery with sophisticated image processing techniques, this paper provides crucial insights into earthquake activity and its impact in this area.