Operational Deformation Monitoring of the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge with Multi-Orbit LuTan-1 SAR Satellites

Abstract. This study evaluates the operational capability of the Chinese LuTan-1 (LT-1) L-band SAR constellation for monitoring the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge (HZMB), a representative sea-crossing bridge under a complex subtropical marine climate. Leveraging the advantages of L-band SAR—including strong resistance to decorrelation and a spatial resolution of up to 3 meters—we applied the Small Baseline Subset (SBAS) technique to 47 ascending and descending orbital images. To the best of our knowledge, this represents one of the first comprehensive deformation studies of the HZMB using the LT-1 constellation. A key aspect of our methodology is the cross-validation between multi-orbit datasets, which confirmed both the reliability of the measurements and the complementary distribution of coherent points due to SAR imaging geometry. The results indicate overall structural stability of the HZMB, with the maximum deformation localized at the Jianghai Navigation Bridge, showing a Line-of-Sight (LOS) displacement rate of –4.3 mm/yr. In contrast, the two artificial islands exhibited minor deformation, with LOS rates not exceeding –3.0 mm/yr. These findings validate LT-1 as a powerful and reliable tool for the operational health monitoring of large-scale coastal infrastructure.