Simulation of groundwater flow and environmental effects resulting from pumping

In coastal lowland plains, increased water demand on a limited water resource has resulted in declining groundwater levels, land subsidence and saltwater encroachment. In southwestern Kyushu, Japan, a sinking of the land surface due to over pumping of groundwater has long been recognized as a problem in the Shiroishi lowland plain. In this paper, an integrated model was established for the Shiroishi site using the modular finite difference groundwater flow model, MODFLOW, by McDonald and Harbaugh (1988) and the modular three-dimensional finite difference groundwater solute transport model, MT3D, by Zheng (1990) to simulate groundwater flow hydraulics, land subsidence, and solute transport in the alluvial lowland plain. Firstly, problems associated with these groundwater resources were discussed and then the established model was applied. The simulated results show that subsidence rapidly occurs throughout the area with the central prone in the center part of the plain. Moreover, seawater intrusion would be expected along the coast if the current rates of groundwater exploitation continue. Sensitivity analysis indicates that certain hydrogeologic parameters such as an inelastic storage coefficient of soil layers significantly contribute effects to both the rate and magnitude of consolidation. Monitoring the present salinization process is useful in determining possible threats to fresh groundwater supplies in the near future. In addition, the integrated numerical model is capable of simulating the regional trend of potentiometric levels, land subsidence and salt concentration. The study also suggests that during years of reduced surface-water availability, reduction of demand, increase in irrigation efficiency and the utilization of water exported from nearby basins are thought to be necessary for future development of the region to alleviate the effects due to pumping.     

天津平原地下水可开采量与确定依据

根据深层地下水开采对地面沉降的影响比较,天津中部平原和滨海平原第二、三含水层组深层地下水开采对地面沉降影响较小,为适宜开采层位。地面沉降控制在10 mm/a,第二、三含水层组深层地下水可开采量为2.68亿m3/a。中部平原浅层地下淡水、微咸水,在技术经济上鼓励开采,可开采量为1.64亿m3/a;山前平原地下水现状开采强度未引起明显的环境地质问题,开采强度适当,可开采量为2.79亿m3/a。天津平原生态环境保持良好,地下水总的可开采量为7.11亿m3/a。     

Ground Subsidence in Areas of Loose Porous Aquifers

Groundwater is one of the important water resources in northern China's plain areas. Many severe geological hazards have occurred in these areas due to ground subsidence which is caused by over exploitation of groundwater. This paper introduces and analyses the ground subsidence caused by groundwater exploitation and its mechanism in the northern China's plains. A ground subsidence prediction model has been developed based on the consolidation theory. The authors have tested this model in a case study of Fuyang City, Anhui Province, where ground subsidence is a severe environmental problem. In the case study, the model results match very well with those of the actual measurement. Two schemes of groundwater exploitation are assessed. The conclusion from the study could be used in the long-term water and economical management planning. The strategies for the control of ground subsidence are discussed.     

浙江省滨海平原地面沉降现状及防治对策

浙江省杭嘉湖等滨海平原地面沉陷自20世纪60年代发生以来，随着地下水开采的不断发展，造成洪涝灾害加剧、海潮上岸、城市排水排污能力削弱，内河通航能力下降等危害，影响社会经济的可持续发展。本文根据多年来的地面沉降与地下水动态监测、调查成果，对浙江省滨海平原地面沉陷历史与现状、地面沉降基本规律进行总结，提出了地面沉降防治措施建议。     

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.     

Groundwater resources management under environmental constraints in Shiroishi of Saga plain, Japan

A sinking of the land surface due to the pumping of groundwater has long been recognized as an environmental issue in the Shiroishi plain of Saga, Japan. Land subsidence can have several negative economic and social implications such as changes in groundwater and surface water flow patterns, restrictions on pumping in land subsidence prone areas, localized flooding, failure of well casings as well as shearing of structures. To minimize such an environmental effect, groundwater management should be considered in this area. In this study, a new integrated numerical model that integrates a three-dimensional numerical groundwater flow model coupled with a one-dimensional soil consolidation model and a groundwater optimization model was developed to simulate groundwater movement, to predict ground settlement and to search for optimal safe yield of groundwater without violating physical, environmental and socio-economic constraints. It is found that groundwater levels in the aquifers greatly vary from season to season in response to the varying climatic and pumping conditions. Consequently, land subsidence has occurred rapidly throughout the area with the Shiroishi plain being the most prone. The predicted optimal safe yield of the pumping amount is about 5 million m³. The study also suggests that pumping with this optimal amount will minimize the rate of land subsidence over the entire area. An erratum to this article can be found at     

Use of hydrogeochemistry and environmental isotopes for evaluation of groundwater in Qingshuihe Basin,northwestern China

Hydrogeochemistry and environmental isotope data were utilized to understand origin, geochemical evolution, hydraulic interconnection, and renewability of groundwater in Qingshuihe Basin, northwestern China. There are four types of groundwater: (1) shallow groundwater in the mountain front pluvial fans, originating from recent recharge by precipitation, (2) deep paleo-groundwater of the lower alluvial plains, which was formed long ago, (3) shallow groundwater in the lower alluvial plains, which has undergone evaporation during the recharge process, and (4) mixed groundwater (shallow and deep groundwater in the plain). The main water types are Na–HCO₃, which dominates type (1), and Na–SO₄, which dominates types (2) and (3). Geochemical evolution in the upper pluvial fans is mainly the result of CO₂ gas dissolution, silicates weathering and cation exchange; in the lower alluvial plains, it is related to mineral dissolution. The evaporative enrichment only produces significant salinity increases in the shallow groundwater of the lower alluvial plains. Shallow groundwater age in the upper plain is 10 years or so, showing a strong renewability. Deep groundwater ages in the lower plain are more than 200 years, showing poor renewability. In the exploitation areas, the renewability of groundwater evidently increases and the circulation period is 70–100 years.     

Land subsidence and earth fissures in south-central and southern Arizona,USA

Land subsidence due to groundwater overdraft has been an ongoing problem in south-central and southern Arizona (USA) since the 1940s. The first earth fissure attributed to excessive groundwater withdrawal was discovered in the early 1950s near Picacho. In some areas of the state, groundwater-level declines of more than 150 m have resulted in extensive land subsidence and earth fissuring. Land subsidence in excess of 5.7 m has been documented in both western metropolitan Phoenix and Eloy. The Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) has been monitoring land subsidence since 2002 using interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) and since 1998 using a global navigation satellite system (GNSS). The ADWR InSAR program has identified more than 25 individual land subsidence features that cover an area of more than 7,300 km². Using InSAR data in conjunction with groundwater-level datasets, ADWR is able to monitor land subsidence areas as well as identify areas that may require additional monitoring. One area of particular concern is the Willcox groundwater basin in southeastern Arizona, which is the focus of this paper. The area is experiencing rapid groundwater declines, as much as 32.1 m during 2005–2014 (the largest land subsidence rate in Arizona State—up to 12 cm/year), and a large number of earth fissures. The declining groundwater levels in Arizona are a challenge for both future groundwater availability and mitigating land subsidence associated with these declines. ADWR’s InSAR program will continue to be a critical tool for monitoring land subsidence due to excessive groundwater withdrawal.     

机井开采对月牙泉水位的影响及应对措施

通过对月牙泉周边区域的水量均衡计算范围、地下水水位监测孔的水位年内变化及牙泉水位下降过程的分析,明确对月牙泉水位产生影响的机井开采区,提出关闭合水村和鸣山村及敦煌城市自来水厂、七里镇自来水厂机井。共关闭机井155眼,减少年开采量1 297.8万/m^3,以应对月牙泉的水位因机井开采而持续下降的问题。     

淮南采煤沉陷区积水来源的氢氧稳定同位素证据

淮南是我国东部重要的能源基地,由于长期地下采煤,地表形成大面积的采煤沉陷区并积水,造成严重地质灾害。针对于此,部分学者提出利用采煤沉陷区建立"平原水库"解决周边地区干旱年份农田缺水问题的设想。然而,一方面,由于煤层上覆几百米厚的新生代沉积,采煤塌陷形成的沉陷裂隙是否沟通了不同含水层之间的水力联系,并因此改变了这个地区的地下水系统,成为区域水资源评价需要了解的一个重要科学问题;另一方面,建立"平原水库"需要有稳定的补给水源,采煤形成的沉陷裂隙如果沟通了地下不同深度含水层的水力联系,是否使地下水成为塌陷区除降雨外的重要补给来源,这就成为评价"平原水库"水资源潜力的重要参考依据。氢氧稳定同位素是示踪天然水体水来源的重要手段,笔者在淮南矿区采集了旱季和雨季的浅层地下水、河水、雨水、沉陷区的积水等不同水体的水样23件,分析了其氢氧稳定同位素组成并与深层地下水进行对比。结果表明:雨季和旱季,该地区采煤沉陷区积水的氢氧稳定同位素组成都非常接近大气降水的氢氧稳定同位素组成,而与深层地下水的氢氧稳定同位素组成相差较大,说明采煤沉陷区的积水来源主要是大气降水补给。采煤沉陷区的沉陷裂隙贯穿了整个新生代地层,使地表水发生下渗与在深部与深层地下水发生不同程度的混合,而深层地下水尚不是"平原水库"的稳定补给源。     

郑州市龙湖成湖方案研究

人工湖建设可能引起地下水位的抬升,将对周边生态环境造成影响,如部分河岸区的浸没、土壤次生盐渍化、地下水质恶化、影响湖周高层建筑物的地基承载力等。在分析人工湖渗漏问题基础上, 提出了在不采取防渗措施和采取防渗措施两种不同情况下的成湖方案, 并进行了防渗方案的优选。用地下水数值模型MODFLOW和优化模型MODMAN对处于黄河冲积平原地区拟开挖人工湖进行了数值模拟及优化。结果表明,在龙湖运行时,只要人工湖的渗漏量控制在一定范围内,辅之于相应的湖体周边的降水措施,就可有效避免各种环境问题的出现。     

应对海平面上升与地面沉降迭加引发的地质灾害与生态环境问题

海平面上升已引起各国政府和科技界的高度关注。预计未来30年,浙江沿海海平面将比2009年升高88~140 mm。海平面上升与浙江沿海平原地面沉降迭加将进一步恶化地质与生态系统,引发许多灾害问题,制约沿海区域经济社会的可持续发展。本文主要就如何应对海平面上升与地面沉降迭加引发的地质灾害链与生态环境问题进行了探讨,认为要从地球系统科学角度,重视对陆-海相互作用机制与生态环境效应的研究,着手考虑建立陆海(包括入海河流)统筹的海岸带地质与生态环境监测评价系统。     

Hydrogeochemical characteristics and evolution of the aquifer systems of Gonghe Basin,Northern China

We present the first systematic hydrogeological analysis to grain insights on the evolution of the Gonghe Basin in North China. Two hundred and forty seven water samples were collected from the Gonghe East Basin, Gonghe West Basin and Chaka Basin. The three groundwater systems of Gonghe Basin from west to east display different geochemical signatures. Based on Na/Cl ratios and Langelier-Ludwig diagram, it is inferred that the groundwater recharge potential of the Gonghe East Basin is much prosperous than the other areas. The renewability of the aquifers in alluvial-proluvial fan of Wahonghe and Gonghe East Basin margin is much faster than in the other basins. The groundwater quality in Chaka Salt Lake,Shazhuyu and Qiabuqia River Valley plains is low due to strong evaporation and cation exchange. The groundwater quality of the phreatic aquifers in the Qiabuqia River Valley plain is further deteriorated by mixing of high-arsenic and high-mineralization water from the deep fault structures.     

海河平原地下水资源可持续利用前景评价

本文通过综合分析海河平原地下水资源盈余量以及建立典型三级区平原开采系数与地下水水位下降速率、地面沉降速率的关系,分析了各三级区平原依靠环境容量可扩大开采量,根据疏干时限性评价指标对海河平原地下水的开采潜力进行了评价,客观展现了维持现状开采条件下研究区地下水资源可持续利用的暗淡前景。     

长江中游河湖平原浅层地下水中砷空间异质性的同位素指示

近年来陆续有报道发现长江中游河湖平原广泛分布着高砷地下水,鄱阳湖平原与江北平原（古彭蠡泽）作为长江中游南北两岸典型的河湖平原,其地下水资源丰富,但砷的空间分布规律尚不清楚,区域供水安全存在风险.本研究在两个区域系统采集98个浅层地下水（< 40 m）样品和8个地表水样品,通过水化学、氢氧稳定同位素分析,查明地下水中砷的空间分布异质性及其影响因素.研究发现江北平原浅层地下水砷含量为0.65~956.72 μg/L（平均值210.78 μg/L）,高砷地下水集中分布于长江古河道;鄱阳湖平原浅层地下水砷含量为0.09~267.45 μg/L（平均值11.85 μg/L）,高砷地下水仅分布于赣江三角洲局部地区.江北平原地下水δD与δ18O值相对鄱阳湖平原更偏负,且与地表水的差异更大.地下水化学及主成分分析结果表明物源和含水层结构差异是影响鄱阳湖平原和江北平原砷空间分布异质性的关键因素,来自长江物源的古彭蠡泽区域沉积物为高砷含水层的形成提供了物质来源,湖相含水层中含砷铁氧化物的还原性溶解是地下水砷富集的主要过程.地下水氢氧稳定同位素指示江北平原较鄱阳湖平原地下水赋存环境更封闭,地下水循环交替速度缓慢,有利于砷的富集.      

基于SBAS-InSAR技术的豫北平原地面沉降监测

豫北平原是河南省平原地区地面沉降灾害较严重地区之一,快速全面掌握豫北平原地面沉降信息、有效防控地面沉降的持续快速发展对中原城市群建设至关重要。本文借助中高分辨率RADARSAT-2雷达数据,基于SBAS-InSAR技术获取了豫北平原2014-2016年的地面沉降监测数据。监测结果表明：两年内豫北平原地面整体下沉,区内共圈定8个较明显的沉降区,总面积约3 006 km²,各沉降区沉降速率在25.00~114.85 mm/a之间;其中,除安阳县白壁镇-内黄县沉降区和辉县沉降区最大沉降速率分别达到95.36和114.85 mm/a之外,其余6个沉降区最大沉降速率均小于73.58 mm/a。根据沉降区现场实地调查和综合分析发现,豫北平原地面沉降主要是活动断裂、松软岩土、地下水超采、城市建设活动、石油和地热资源开采等共同作用的结果。建议将豫北平原地面沉降的防控重点放在人类活动引起的地下水超采和城市建设引发的松软岩土层超量堆载等方面。     

Sedimentology,mineralogy, and geochemistry of the Late Quaternary Meyghan Playa sediments,NE Arak,Iran: palaeoclimate implications

Playas are shallow ephemeral lakes that form in arid and semi-arid regions. Iran has a large number of playas such as Meyghan Playa, which is located in the northeast of Arak city that borders the central Iran and Sanandaj-Sirjan zones. This study aims to investigate the mineralogical, sedimentological, and geochemical characteristics of the playa sediments. In order to determine the palaeoenvironment, we carried out X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies. Meyghan Playa sediments consist of very fine-grained sediments and contain both evaporite and clastic minerals. The evaporite minerals include calcite, gypsum, halite, glauberite, and thenardite, whereas clastic minerals are quartz and clay. The calcite abundance decreases from the margin to the central portion of the playa but gypsum and halite abundances show an increasing trend from the margin to the center. This observation is consistent with the general zonation of other playas. Variations of calcite and gypsum concentration profiles present increasing and decreasing trends with depth, which could be ascribed to the changes in climatic factors. These factors include brine chemical modifications owing to changes in evaporation and precipitation rates and variations in relative abundance of anions-cations or in the rate of clastic and evaporite minerals due to variations in the freshwater influx (climatic changes) with time. A decrease in calcite and increase in sulfate minerals (especially gypsum) with depth is probably due to the higher water level and rainfall, a more humid climate, and salinity variations.     

GIS-based spatial and temporal prediction system development for regional land subsidence hazard mitigation

An integrated GIS-based approach for establishing a spatial and temporal prediction system for groundwater flow and land subsidence is proposed and applied to a subsidence-progressed Japanese coastal plain. Various kinds of fundamental data relating to groundwater flow and land subsidence are digitized and entered into a GIS database. A surface water hydrological cycle simulation is performed using a GIS spatial data operation for the entire plain, and the spatial and temporal groundwater infiltration quantity is hereby obtained. Through the data transformation from the GIS database to a groundwater flow code (MODFLOW), a 3D groundwater flow model is established and unsteady groundwater flow simulation for the past 21 years is conducted with results which compare satisfactorily with observed results. Finally, a Visual Basic code is developed for land subsidence calculations considering aquifer and aquitard deformation. Future land subsidence in the plain is predicted assuming different water pumping scenarios, and the results provide important information for land subsidence mitigation decision-making.     

Potential impacts of climate change on groundwater levels on the Kerdi-Shirazi plain,Iran

It is important to predict how groundwater levels in an aquifer will respond to various climate change scenarios to effectively plan for how groundwater resources will be used in the future. Due to the overuse of groundwater resources and the multi-year drought in the Kerdi-Shirazi plain in Iran, some land subsidence and a drop in groundwater levels has taken place, and without active management, further degradation of the groundwater resource is possible under predicted future climate change scenarios in the country. To determine the potential impacts of climate change on groundwater levels in the region, the groundwater model GMS was coupled with the atmospheric circulation model HADCM3 using scenarios A1B, A2 and B1 for the period 2016–2030. The results of the climate modelling suggest that the Kerdi-Shirazi plain will experience an increase in minimum temperature and maximum temperature of, respectively, between 0.03 and 0.47, and 0.32–0.45 °C for this time period. The results of the groundwater modelling suggest that water levels on the Kerdi-Shirazi plain will continue to decline over the forecast period with decreases of 34.51, 36.57 and 33.58 m being predicted, respectively, for climate scenarios A1B, A2 and B1. Consequently, groundwater resources in the Kerdi-Shirazi plain will urgently need active management to minimize the effects of ongoing water level decline and to prevent saltwater intrusion and desertification in the region.     

浙江温州市永强平原地面沉降分析与趋势预测

温州市永强平原经济发达,工业化的发展和地下水无计划的开采,使永强平原地面沉降较为严重,永中累计沉降量超过300mm。为了更好地对永强平原地面沉降做出分析预测,本文通过研究区域地质环境、地下水开采量、地下水位的动态变化特征及2005～2010年的地面沉降监测资料,分析地面沉降速率、范围、沉降量,从而进一步探讨地面沉降与地层结构、地下水动态的关系,同时采用年开采量和年平均沉降速率预测2015年的地面沉降量。分析结果对深化永强平原地面沉降研究具有一定意义。