Subsidence due to pumping from layered soil—a perturbation theory

Persistent pumping of groundwater is known to cause subsidence of the ground surface. When the soil is composed of alternating layers of sand and clay, subsidence is, in general, a consequence of pressure change in and deformation of all layers. Even with various simplifications, the mathematical task for the mechanics of a layered soil is complex and, in the past, many idealizations have been introduced in the literature. Among the existing approximations, a well-known approximation by Hantush¹ for well-hydraulics in leaky aquifers is intuitively attractive. He used the fact known to be strictly true for simple flows in a soil system with horizontal layers, that the flow must be mainly horizontal in a relatively porous aquifer and mainly vertical in a highly impervious aquitard, and invoked the same approximation for transient flows induced by well-pumping. In this paper we shall apply a perturbation analysis to give a mathematical confirmation of the hydrological approximation and to show its degree of accuracy. In particular, we treat a three-layered system, where the middle layer is a relatively soft aquitard, and the well withdraws water from the artesian aquifer at the bottom. The upper aquifer has a phreatic surface. Physically, we examine the often ignored effects of self-weight which is important for thick aquitards. The perturbation theory is worked out for sufficiently weak pumping rates and small soil deformation. Subsidence in the vertical direction due mainly to the deformation of the soft aquitard is studied. Results show that the common assumption of constant total stress with respect to depth is valid only when the storage coefficient is very small.     

上海市地下水位大幅抬升条件下土层变形特征分析

过去对地下水位持续下降条件的地面沉降研究较多,但对水位大幅持续抬升过程中的地面沉降研究较少。本文根据 上海大量地面沉降、水位观测和钻孔资料,系统分析上海市90年代末以来地下水位大幅抬升条件下各土层的变形特征。自 1998年以来,上海市通过大幅压缩开采量、回灌地下水等措施使第二、三、四和五承压含水层水位分别平均抬升2.1 m, 3.6 m, 12.4 m, 12.7 m。水位的抬升使上海市地面沉降平均速率由1998年的12.2 mm/a减小到2011年的1.83 mm/a,减少85%。 通过对27组分层标数据分析发现：现阶段主要压缩层位在第一、二软土层,年沉降速率为2~4 mm/a;而第二含水层以下土 层已经有少量回弹。在水位持续大幅抬升过程中,本文总结了两种变形特征：1） 变形和水位变化基本同步,残余变形量非 常小,变形可概化为线弹性变形,这种变形主要发生在第一、二、三和五承压含水层、第五和六弱透水层;2） 压缩速率逐 渐减小,无明显持续回弹趋势,有较大残余压缩量且存在变形滞后现象,变形可概化为弹塑性变形,这种变形主要发生在 地第二、三和四弱透水层。第四承压含水层变形较复杂,两种变形特征都有。其中较大残余变形量主要由塑性贮水率比弹 性贮水率大2个数量级引起;变形滞后主要由弱透水层中超孔隙水压力消散较慢引起。本文研究成果对于掌握水位抬升过 程中土层变形方式、发生发展机理、预测未来地面沉降及地下水科学管理和资源评价具有重要意义。     

基于地下水渗流方程的三维地面沉降模型

针对地下水抽取引起的大面积地面沉降的问题,提出了一种计算方法。该方法基于饱和与不饱和岩土介质中地下水渗流理论,计算出三维状态下的大面积地面沉降。提出的方法被结合到地下水渗流的三维有限元法分析中,计算时考虑了地层的可压缩性,并被用来分析软土的固结,将该法与太沙基理论及固结试验的结果进行比较,结果表明其误差小于2 %。该法还被用来分析单井抽取承压地下水引起的周围地基的沉降及承压水层由于挡水板的阻断作用而引起的下游侧的地基的沉降。     

Threat of land subsidence in and around Kolkata City and East Kolkata Wetlands,West Bengal,India

This paper attempts to estimate the possible rate of land subsidence of Kolkata City including Salt Lake City and the adjoining East Kolkata Wetlands located at the lower part of the deltaic alluvial plain of South Bengal basin. Demand of groundwater for drinking, agricultural and industrial purposes has increased due to rapid urbanization. The subsurface geology consists of Quaternary sediments comprising a succession of clay, silty clay and sand of various grades. Groundwater occurs mostly under confined condition except in those places where the top aquitard has been obliterated due to the scouring action of past channels. Currently, the piezometric head shows a falling trend and it may be accelerated due to further over-withdrawal of groundwater resulting in land subsidence. The estimated mean land subsidence rate is 13.53 mm/year and for 1 m drop in the piezometric head, the mean subsidence is 3.28 cm. The surface expression of the estimated land subsidence is however, cryptic because of a time lag between the settlement of the thick low-permeable aquitard at the top and its surface expression. Therefore, groundwater of the cities and wetland areas should be developed cautiously based on the groundwater potential to minimize the threat of land subsidence.     

连云港徐圩地面沉降BOTDR监测与评价

连云港市位于苏北沿海地区,地面沉降灾害面积较大,多地沉降速率超过20 mm/a,徐圩的沉降现状尤为严重。为了能够对徐圩地区的地面沉降进行精细化观测,文章采用BOTDR分布式光纤感测技术,对徐圩镇127 m深的钻孔地层进行了两年多的全断面精细化监测。结果表明:徐圩镇共有四个承压含水层组,I-1隔水层和I-2隔水层土体沉降量分别占总沉降量的70.29 %、24.59 %,抽水层的土体最大沉降量仅占比1.38 %。I-1隔水层和I-2隔水层的地层岩性包括淤泥质黏土（L2）、亚黏土（L3）、亚砂土夹粉砂（L4）,总厚度为44 m,由于抽水过程中隔水层向含水层失水,导致该隔水层土体固结压缩。同时,工程建设附加荷载对地面沉降的影响也不可忽视。徐圩地区现阶段的沉降仍在继续发生,但沉降速率有减小的趋势。BOTDR技术可有效获取地面沉降钻孔全断面的土层变形分布信息,为地面沉降评价提供了一种精细化的分布式监测手段。     

Modeling of water–rock interactions in an aquitard of sandy clay in the coastal area near Beihai,China

Unconsolidated sand, gravel and clay deposits near Beihai and in the Leizhou Peninsula in southern China form an unconfined aquifer, aquitard and a confined aquifer. Water and soil samples were collected from the two aquifers in the coastal Beihai area for the determination of chemical compositions, minerals and soluble ions. Hydrogeochemical modeling of three flow paths through the aquitard are carried out using PHREEQC to determine water–rock interactions along the flow paths. The results indicate that the dissolution of anorthite, fluorite, halite, rhodochrosite and CO₂, and precipitation of potash feldspar and kaolinite may be occurring when groundwater leaks through the aquitard from the unconfined aquifer to the confined aquifer. Cation exchanges between Na and Ca can also happen along the flow paths.     

黏性土弱透水层压实作用:原理、技术及其水文地质意义

弱透水层与含水层相互作用是国际水文地质学界关注的热点问题,特别是黏性土弱透水层与孔隙含水层的相互作用。近年来,在自然沉积、过量开采地下水、现代化农业机械与建筑业重型机械应用等自然与人为活动影响下,黏土弱透水层会发生有效应力增加、孔隙结构变形和孔隙度减少、渗透性降低、溶解氧和贮水能力减少以及侧向和垂向排水等的压实作用,导致地下水污染、地面沉降等环境问题的发生。本文重点介绍了黏性土弱透水层压实作用的原理,分析了地下水系统中4种不同状态下沉积物压实与孔隙流体压力的关系,基于压实物理模拟和数值模拟两个方面对压实作用的研究方法与技术进行了系统总结,随后探讨了压实作用下黏性土弱透水层对地下水水量与水质的影响,并对此研究的发展趋势及其在地球科学、环境科学等研究领域的潜在应用提出了展望。     

Characteristics of aquifer system deformation in the Southern Yangtse Delta, China

Excessive groundwater pumpage has caused regional cones of depression and severe land subsidence in the Southern Yangtse Delta, China. The characteristics of aquifer system compaction are complex because of the difference in the types, compositions and structures of the soils that the hydrostratigraphic units are composed of, and in the histories of groundwater level change the hydrostratigraphic units have experienced. Based on the data measured from extensometer groups and observation wells, the characteristics of deformation for individual hydrostratigraphic units are analyzed. The results show that different hydrostratigraphic units have different kinds of deformation and that an identical unit may also present different deformation characteristics, such as elasticity, elasto-plasticity, and visco-elasto-plasticity, at different sites of the cone of depression or in different periods. If the groundwater level rises continuously and remains constant later, the aquifers and the aquitard units that consist of hard clay primarily exhibit elastic behaviour, but the aquitard units that consist of soft clay deform plastically and by creep and exhibit visco-elasto-plastic behaviour. If the groundwater level falls but is much higher than the previous lowest value, aquifers and aquitards consisting of hard clay exhibit elasto-plastic behaviour. If the groundwater level falls below the previous lowest value, aquifers and aquitards consisting of hard clay deform plastically and by creep and exhibit visco-elasto-plastic behaviour.     

Regional land subsidence simulation in Su-Xi-Chang area and Shanghai City, China

Su-Xi-Chang area and Shanghai City, located in the south of Yangtze Delta, China, has subsided due to groundwater overpumping. Because of the regional scale of the groundwater exploitation, cone of depression and land subsidence at present, Su-Xi-Chang area and Shanghai City are treated as a single area for land subsidence study to avoid the uncertainty of boundary condition due to the regionalism. The characteristics of aquifer system compaction are complex because of the difference in the types, compositions and structures of the soils that the hydrostratigraphic units are composed of, and in the histories of groundwater level change the hydrostratigraphic units have experienced. Considering the fact that different hydrostratigraphic units have different kinds of deformation and that an identical unit may also present different deformation characteristics, such as elasticity, elasto-plasticity, and visco-elasto-plasticity, at different sites of the cone of depression or in different periods, corresponding constitutive laws have been adopted. This avoids the shortcomings of the previous research that the same constitutive law was adopted in all the hydrostratigraphic units during the entire time period. A coupled flow and subsidence model, which includes a three-dimensional flow model with variable coefficients and a one-dimensional (vertical) subsidence model, is built according to the complicated hydrological condition in the region. The simulation model is calibrated using observed data, which include compression of individual strata from groups of extensometers and groundwater levels from observation wells from 1995 to 2002. The model reproduced that the primary subsidence layer in Shanghai shifts from the shallow aquitard to the fourth confined aquifer because of the groundwater yield variations and the change of exploitation aquifers. However the third aquitard was the primary subsidence layer in Su-Xi-Chang area and the compaction deformation of the sandy aquifers was remarkable. The simulation results could provide some reasonable advice about groundwater exploitation in the future.     

饱和黏性土蠕变变形试验研究

结合苏锡常地区地面沉降研究,用单向固结仪研究饱和黏性土在复杂荷载作用下的蠕变变形特征。试验土样取自苏锡常地区第2弱透水层。研究结果表明,在初次加载时黏性土具有明显的蠕变性,在双对数坐标中蠕变变形与时间呈直线关系,且直线斜率随荷载水平增大而减小,但在荷载水平达到一定值后斜率变化不大;在初次卸载时黏性土仍有明显的回弹蠕变,特别是在卸载水平较高时,卸载回弹蠕变变形与应力和时间的关系仍可用幂函数表示;在循环荷载作用下,加卸载达到变形稳定的时间随循环次数增加而减小。当循环荷载最大值小于土样的先期固结压力时,土样在2次加卸载循环后达到弹性变形状态;当循环荷载最大值等于土样的先期固结压力时,土样在5次加卸载循环后达到弹性变形状态。     

基于DFOS的苏州第四纪沉积层变形及地面沉降监测分析

苏州地区广泛分布松散第四纪沉积物,大量抽取地下水导致了苏州大范围的地面沉降,严重影响了该区经济发展。本文在苏州盛泽200m钻孔内安装了分布式感测光纤,采用BOTDR及FBG等分布式光纤感测技术(DFOS),对第四纪沉积层压缩及地面沉降进行了长期的监测分析。分析结果表明:苏州盛泽地区第四纪土层可分为3个含水层(Af)及4个弱透水层(Ad),现阶段含水层压缩已不明显,主要压缩层为与抽水含水层相邻的两个隔水层,且与抽水含水层距离越近的部位压缩越明显; 第四纪沉积层的变形与抽水含水层孔隙水压变化基本一致,呈现出夏季压缩,冬季略回弹的趋势,并且存在滞后现象; 定义压缩度为各层累计压缩量与其自身厚度的比值,即每米压缩量。各土层沉降趋势可用压缩度判断,对于黏土隔水层沉降程度Ad2 Ad3 Ad4 Ad1,对于含水砂层,Af2为主要变形层,Af1及Af3变形基本稳定。DFOS技术为研究地面沉降机理,评价土层压缩变形潜力提供了十分先进的监测手段。     

Tritium�Chelium groundwater age used to constrain a groundwater flow model of a valley-fill aquifer contaminated with trichloroethylene (Quebec, Canada)

Tritium?Chelium groundwater dating was carried out in a trichloroethylene (TCE)-contaminated valley-fill aquifer system in Quebec, Canada, where a numerical groundwater flow model was developed. Forty seven discrete groundwater and dissolved gas samples were obtained along two flow paths originating from known TCE source zones whose related plumes converge down gradient to form a single plume. Sampling points in monitoring wells were projected onto vertical sections showing particle tracks along the two flow paths. At these points, simulated advective ages obtained from particle tracking were matched to tritium?Chelium ages using different porosity values; the best match was 0.35. Ages were also obtained above and below a prodeltaic silty aquitard in a portion of the aquifer where some source zones are located, which provide groundwater and TCE transit times through the aquitard as well as a mean vertical hydraulic conductivity that agrees with previous estimates used in the model. In certain locations, anomalously old ages associated with high terrigenic ⁴He indicate areas where groundwater from the underlying proglacial unit flows upward into the deltaic sand aquifer through aquitard windows. Upflow locations correspond with increased TCE concentrations, suggesting significant TCE provenance through the proglacial unit originating from a previously unrecognized TCE source zone.     

应力历史对弱透水层参数影响试验研究

弱透水层储存的地下水是地下水资源的重要组成部分,弱透水层水文地质参数对地下水资源管理与评价以及地面沉降等具有重要意义。通过室内试验对定降深条件下弱透水层水流运移规律进行了研究,并探讨了弱透水层释水过程中的变形规律和释水规律。试验结果表明,在相邻含水层定降深条件下,弱透水层固结变形滞后于相邻含水层的降深变化,且变形速度逐渐变小并趋于零。基于室内试验,利用配线法求得弱透水层不同应力状态下的水文地质参数,对比分析,大变形和小变形试验中土层的渗透系数变化不大,但贮水率明显变小,土层的固结系数变大。因此,土层的应力历史对土层的渗透系数影响不大,而对贮水率有较大的影响。     

Logging in deep water wells in central Jutland, Denmark

During a search for unpolluted resources, new wells have been drilled to a deep confined aquifer in central Jutland. Since little is known about the extent and vulnerability of the deep reservoir, geophysical logging was used to supplement hydraulic well-testing. Gamma-ray, SP and resistivity logs were recorded in the boreholes. Gamma-logs were also recorded in two cased wells. Analysis of the logs, combined with information from samples, shows an unconfined aquifer of quartz and mica sand to a depth of about 55 m at Grindsted. Below this level there is a 40 m thick aquitard with an apparent southerly dip. The aquitard is composed of interbedded sand, silt and clay. The deep confined aquifer extends from 95 to 110 m below the surface at Grindsted. Both the aquitard and the deep aquifer are provisionally dated as Early/Middle Miocene. The electrical logs discriminate well between sand, silt and clay beds. If a suitable mud is used in the well it is possible to calculate the formation water resistivities in good agreement with water samples obtained after completion. From the resistivity logs formation factors were calculated in the range 3–5 using no-invasion departure curves. The high content of heavy mineralsin the Tertiary deposits makes it impossible to obtain precise lithological information from the gamma-ray log. On the other hand this log provides clear markers for identifying the hydrogeological units in the well-bores.     

基于层间位移协调的承压水降压引起土层变形分析

承压水降压引起的地面沉降由含水层、弱透水层和潜水层的变形组成。当承压层降压时间短、弱透水层固结变形较小时,可以假设弱透水层为严格的隔水层。采用层状弹性体系理论,基于位移协调条件分别建立了单井抽水以及第三类基坑工程降水（隔水帷幕插入降水含水层）引起的土层变形分析模型,与数值模拟和现场抽水试验结果的对比,验证了文中方法的正确性。研究结果表明,上覆土层弹性参数变化对地表变形的影响可以忽略;抽水井附近的土层变形呈现“上小下大”特点,一定距离以外含水层与地面沉降大致相等,根据承压含水层降深要求,可估算出基坑外的水位降深。     

常州地区含水层系统土层压缩变形特征研究

根据近十几年来分层标和含水层水位观测资料分析了常州地区土层压缩变形特征,表明承压含水砂层中的压缩变形不容忽视,且含水砂层的压缩变形与弱透水层的粘土、粉质粘土相似,均表现出明显的变形滞后现象.为此从水位与时间关系、土层变形与时间关系和水位与变形关系出发,结合室内试验方法,通过选取常州地区含水层系统中第一、二、三承压含水层以及二、三承压含水层间弱透水层和第三承压含水层下覆弱透水层的原状土样,采用单轴侧限压缩试验,分析了常州地区砂土和粉质粘土的次固结（蠕变）特性.试验结果表明常州地区不论是粉质粘土还是砂土,均存在一定的次固结变形,从而启示我们该地区地面沉降模拟中应同时考虑含水砂层的蠕变特性.     

Excessive groundwater withdrawal and resultant land subsidence in the Su-Xi-Chang area,China

Excessive groundwater withdrawal has caused severe land subsidence in the Su-Xi-Chang (SXC) area, China. The restriction and prohibition on groundwater pumping have been carried out since the late 1990s. Based on the latest updated field data, the changing pattern of groundwater level and the distribution of land subsidence are analyzed. The distribution of land subsidence in SXC is closely related to that of the cone of depression in the second confined aquifer in time and space. But land subsidence is not in synchronization with the changing groundwater level. Both aquitards and aquifers compacted continuously in the early period of groundwater level rising and behaved as creep materials. A series of laboratory tests were conducted on aquifer sands, which indicated that the creep deformation under virgin compression is much greater than that under recompression and unloading, and that the creep of sands decreases rapidly with the cycles of repeating load. The test results reveal the mechanism of sand creep under the condition of long-term groundwater pumpage. As a consequence of the restriction and prohibition on groundwater pumping, groundwater level has obviously recovered in the vast majority of the SXC area, and land subsidence has slowed down and even a little rebound has occurred in some sites in Suzhou and Changzhou. If the pumpage is strictly limited continuously, the groundwater level will not decline below the historical lowest value but fluctuate within a certain range. In such a case, land subsidence in SXC will no longer develop obviously.     

基于ERDAS研究华北平原第四系黏土微观孔隙分形特征

以衡水地面沉降漏斗中心分层标土柱黏土试样的环境电镜扫描图像为研究对象,采用分形理论和ERDAS软件的图像处理技术,求取了华北平原地面沉降典型区第四系黏土微观孔隙分布的分维数,得出华北平原第四系黏土微观孔隙分布分维值随埋深的增大呈现总体减小、局部增减交替的特征.并结合黏土试样的空间位置、密度值、矿物组分、化学成分及地下水等因素,探讨了华北平原第四系黏土微观孔隙分形特征的成因机理.     

Groundwater potential assessment in a sedimentary terrain,southwestern Nigeria

Geoelectrical resistivity techniques are increasingly being applied in addressing a wide range of hydrological, environmental, and geotechnical problems. This is due to their effectiveness in near-surface characterization. In the present study, a suite of vertical electrical soundings (VESs) was integrated with 2D geoelectrical resistivity and time-domain induced polarization (IP) imaging to characterize the near-surface and delineate the underlying aquifer in a sedimentary terrain. The geophysical survey was conducted as part of preliminary studies to evaluate the potential of groundwater resource in Iyana-Iyesi and Canaan Land area of Ota, southwestern Nigeria. A high-yield confined sandy aquifer overlain by a low-yield aquitard was delineated; overlying the aquitard is a very resistive and thick layer that is predominantly composed of kaolinitic swelling clay intercalated with phosphate mineral.     

衡水地面沉降区黏性土体渗透特征研究

弱透水层或(和)弱透水性夹层中低渗透性黏土体的存在是地面沉降赖以形成的物质基础,其渗透特征是影响地面沉降评价、模拟与预测的最基本参数之一。本文以华北平原衡水沉降中心区的钻孔黏性土样为对象,利用高压三轴渗透试验仪进行了土样的渗透试验。结果表明:黏性土体的渗透系数随土体埋深和渗透压力增加而呈现总体逐渐减小的趋势,在时间上总体表现为开始时迅速减小而后逐渐趋于稳定的特点,但是由于地下水位季节性波动或者地下水大量被抽取,部分地层黏土其渗透系数与总体趋势有所差异。最后文章结合电镜扫描试验及分形技术分析了土体微观结构对其渗透特征的控制作用。