A Multi-Source Remote-Sensing-Assisted Method for GNSS Station Site Selection in Underground Coal-Mining Subsidence Areas

Continuous Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) monitoring is essential for characterizing surface subsidence in underground coal-mining areas. However, monitoring-station site selection remains strongly dependent on empirical judgment. Furthermore, steep deformation gradients can cause interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) decorrelation, phase-unwrapping failure, and data gaps in areas where ground-based monitoring is most needed. This study develops a quantitative, multi-source remote-sensing-assisted framework for GNSS monitoring-station site selection under a short-baseline real-time kinematic (RTK) configuration. Sentinel-1A, Sentinel-2C, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) photogrammetric products, and road-network data were integrated to construct eight evaluation factors: normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), slope, terrain ruggedness index, deformation intensity, cumulative subsidence, InSAR coverage, distance to the subsidence edge, and distance to roads. An analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was used as the primary suitability assessment framework, while a random forest (RF) model was introduced with a limited weight to provide auxiliary information only in InSAR data-sparse areas. Grid-level aggregation, three-component Gaussian mixture model (GMM) screening, minimum-distance thinning, field reconnaissance, and monitoring-network review were subsequently combined to convert the continuous suitability surface into deployable station candidates. The resulting high-suitability areas were concentrated mainly along subsidence margins and near InSAR coverage gaps, reflecting the combined effects of deformation representativeness, supplementary monitoring demand, observation conditions, and engineering accessibility. Sixteen candidate stations were identified, of which S12, S3, and S10 were finally recommended to improve the northern, southwestern, and southeastern coverage of the existing monitoring network, respectively. Sensitivity analyses confirmed that the overall suitability pattern and recommended-station rankings remained stable under moderate parameter perturbations. Comparison with two existing GNSS stations further showed that the station with the higher suitability score exhibited a higher fitted subsidence rate (0.438 versus 0.320 mm day−1). Given the two-station and two-month validation dataset, this agreement represents preliminary consistency evidence rather than statistical proof of general effectiveness. The proposed framework links regional remote-sensing assessment with site-scale engineering review and monitoring-network optimization, providing practical decision support for GNSS deployment in underground mining-subsidence areas.