Uncovering storm-induced breakwater failure using integrated InSAR, photogrammetry and bathymetry
Kurtulus Sedar Gormus, Sevki Unal
article (Uluslararası, Hakemli) | Yazar(lar): Kurtulus Sedar Gormus, Sevki Unal | Yıl: 2026 | Dergi/Kurum: REGIONAL STUDIES IN MARINE SCIENCE | İndeks: WOS.SCI | DOI: 10.1016/j.rsma.2026.105539 | Anahtar Kelimeler: Photogrammetry, Bathymetry, Breakwaters, Port, InSAR, Deformation, Time Series — Özet: Ports are critical
Ports are critical infrastructures for maritime transportation, with breakwater systems playing a fundamental role in ensuring operational safety and structural resilience. The design of breakwaters must adequately account for local wave conditions and long-term environmental forcing; however, exceedance of design limits may result in significant structural damage and functional failure. This study investigates the damage induced by the storm event of January 18, 2018, on the main and secondary breakwaters of & Ccedil;atalagz & imath; Port, located along the western Black Sea coast, using an integrated geodetic framework. To comprehensively assess pre-event deformation, failure mechanisms during the event, and post-repair structural behavior, a multi-sensor approach including InSAR, bathymetry, and photogrammetry was implemented. Scenario-based analyses were developed to elucidate the underlying causes of the observed damage. In order to monitor the temporal changes in the deformations of the breakwaters before and after the event, InSAR time-series analysis was performed using MintPy. Through this method, the temporal variation of eastward and vertical deformations in the breakwater structures was examined. Seabed damage within the port was characterized through acoustic sounding, while structural deformations of the breakwaters were resolved by high-resolution photogrammetric modeling. The integration of multi-source point clouds yielded a unified three-dimensional representation of the damaged system, which was systematically compared with the original design cross-sections to support engineering revision analyses. The results show that the multi-sensor framework can quantify the structural deformation and constrain the timing and nature of the failure. The study, integrating satellite-based, aerial, and underwater observations, proposes a comprehensive and transferable methodology for monitoring the deformation of engineering structures such as ports. The findings directly informed the engineering redesign of the breakwaters, leading to an increase in crest elevations from + 3 m to + 8 m, thereby significantly improving the resilience of the port against extreme wave conditions.