Stratigraphy,palynology and geochemistry of the Lower Eocene coals of Arauco,Chile

The Arauco Sedimentary basin of Chile (37° −37° 45′S, 73° 08′ −73° 41′W) contains the most important reserves of bituminous coals of Chile. These are concentrated in two Formations: Curanilahue (Lower Eocene) and Trihueco (Middle Eocene). Five coal seams from the Lota Member of the Curanilahue Formation have been studied from the stratigraphic, palynologic and geochemical point of view. These coals were formed during a regressive stratigraphic episode; the palynological assemblage indicates that the climatic conditions prevailing at the time were of high humidity and temperature. These coals from a geochemical point of view are characterized by high sulphur (2.02%), ash (11.9%) and Ge (67.5 ppm; 1224.3 ppm in ash).     

Geologic and metallogenic aspects concerning the Nahuelbuta mountains banded iron formation,Chile

Paleozoic banded-iron-formation (BIF) deposits occur within the Nahuelbuta-Queule Complex (south central Chile) which hosts the following stratigraphic units: Cabo Tirúa (green schists, mica schists, and metacherts), Lleu-Lleu (iron-bearing metacherts, mica schists, and serpentinites), and Colcura (metagraywackes and metapelites). The lithological, structural, and geochemical characteristics of the Lleu-Lleu and Cabo Tirúa units indicate that they were part of a tectonic mélange accreted to the South American paleocontinent during the Paleozoic. BIF ores are restricted to the Lleu-Lleu metacherts and are characterized by oxide-silicate-sulfide BIF facies. The iron-bearing metacherts present mineralogical and geochemical characteristics close to the volcanogenic BIF types and are thought to have been formed by submarine volcanic exhalative activity.     

Natural hazards and forest resources in the Andes of south-central Chile

From May 21–25, 1960 many of the cities of south-cenral Chile suffered extensive damage when shaken by 11 shocks of an earthquake swarm, each measuring over 6 on the Richter scale with the strongest at 8.5. Associated with this seismic activity were volcanic eruptions and thousands of debris avalanches, lands lides, and mudflows in the Andes fromc. 39° to 42° Lat. S. The events of 1960 led to the recognition of long-term effects of repeated catastrophic phenomena on the landform, soil, and vegetation patterns of south-central Chile. Many of the native tree species, including the dominant Nothofagus species, are dependent on massive disturbance for their regeneration which is of critical importance to forest management. Catastrophic geologic hazards, as well as snow avalanches, are highly significant to all aspects of native forest use including production forestry, forest recreation, and protection forestry. The importance of environmental hazards in forest resource development and conservation in Latin America has received scant attention but, as shown by the case of the Andean region of south-central Chile, should be a major consideration in resource use planning.     

Land degradation,natural resources and local knowledge in the sahel zone of Burkina Faso

This paper proposes a conceptual model that integrates physical and ecological aspects with human aspects of land degradation through a multidisciplinary approach. The model was applied at the local level in a case study in northern Burkina Faso. Assessments of the degradation of the vegetation cover from aerial photographs and a satellite image were analysed in the framework of the model. Another input to the model was results from interviews and field visits with peasants living in the area.The local knowledge of the physical symptoms of land degradation and of the physical variables, eg rainfall and wind, is very close to the scientific logic. However, people do not generally see the links between these variables and the symptoms. Likewise, they do not perceive land degradation to be influenced in any way by human actions. Instead, the cause of land degradation is attributed to God, Allah. Thus, an important field of intervention for governments and development agencies should be to make people aware of their role in land management.     

粤北石漠化地区土地利用优化配置及资源利用研究

以粤北典型石漠化地区秀水小流域为例,综合考虑流域地形、地貌、土地利用等因素,探讨土地利用时空优化布局及资源利用.研究表明:(1)流域内缺水比较严重,分别与地形指数<4.702、4.702~8.05和>8.05对应的土壤低、中、高含水区所占总面积比例依次为79.94%、10.72%、9.35%;(2)坡耕地是秀水小流域水土流失的重要区域.为此,对于流域土地利用配置,坡度<10°的耕地宜采用等高耕作和覆盖耕作相结合的措施,坡度在10°~25°的耕地可采用植物篱措施,坡度>25°的耕地则必须退耕还林.此外,受海拔高度和灌溉条件影响,玉米最好种植在海拔400~500 m的区域;由于上半年降雨量多、下半年少,在缺乏灌溉条件的区域,耗水量较大的作物宜主要安排在上半年,下半年主要以种植玉米等耐旱作物为主.     

Climate,hydrology, land use,and environmental degradation in the lower Rhone Valley during the Roman period

This paper's aims are three: firstly, to demonstrate the importance of a long-term perspective on socio-environmental dynamics; secondly, to show the relevance of archaeological data in constructing such a long-term history of such dynamics; thirdly, to illustrate with a case study how one may identify the component processes of environmental change from archaeological materials. Taking the Roman occupation of the middle and lower Rhone Valley as a point of departure, the paper identifies some of the processes of regional environmental change. Firstly, it demonstrates the existence of a regional phase of climate degradation during the 2nd century ad. It is in all probability of anthropogenic origin. This degradation seems to have been caused by widespread deforestation in preparation for intensive cultivation of cereals, wine and olives for export to other parts of the Roman Empire. Next, it isolates the principal interactions occurring between relief, soils, and water on the one hand, and the societal dynamics on the other. The location of each settlement is considered representative of an environmental choice, made by its founders at the time the settlement is initiated. These environmental choices, in turn, reflect the perception of the landscape and its resources by the settlers. The principal indicators at our disposal for this study are the relief, soil, and hydrological maps. They are used as a basis for the calculation of the altitude, slope, orientation, annual solar radiation, exposure to the prevailing winds, and fertility of the soil of all sites and their environment. Subsequently, preferences are calculated statistically based on the 1000-odd settlements concerned. The third part of the paper concerns the evolution of the sites. It turns out that the earlier ones are the most successful, in part because they occupied the best locations, but also because they structured the landscape and the territory to their advantage, determined the road network, and were the first to lay hands on localized resources. Eighty percent of the total number of sites is abandoned in less than 200 years. The reasons for that abandonment are not to be sought in any kind of environmental degradation, as the proportion of abandoned sites is about the same in all landscapes. Rather, they seem to have to do with a reorganization of the settlement pattern after some 100 years of increasingly intensive agro-industry. This reorganization is triggered by a combination of economic and political events that come close to destabilizing the Empire. Settlement size and accessibility are the main determinants of survival. The exact nature of the events leading up to this re-structuration differs from region to region. In the case of the Tricastin, the Emperor undertook a vast land reclamation project in the first century bc. He used it to retire soldiers from the many legions that were active around the time of the birth of Christ. However, the peace of the early decades of the first century ad abruptly reduced the number of soldiers to be retired. Hence, the orthogonal, Roman drainage system could no longer be maintained sufficiently well, to ensure that it functioned correctly. As a result, the surface available for cultivation, and the yield per hectare, fell drastically, and many farms were deserted. To cite this article: S.E. van der Leeuw, The ARCHAEOMEDES research team, C. R. Geoscience 337 (2005).     

Paralic parasequences associated with Eocene sea-level oscillations in an active margin setting: Trihueco Formation of the Arauco Basin, Chile

The Eocene Trihueco Formation is one of the best exposed successions of the Arauco Basin in Chile. It represents a period of marine regression and transgression of second-order duration, during which barrier island complexes developed on a muddy shelf. The strata are arranged in classical shoaling-upward parasequences of shoreface and beach facies capped by coal-bearing, back-barrier lagoon deposits. These fourth-order cycles are superimposed upon third-order cycles which caused landward and seaward shifts of the coastal facies belts. The final, punctuated rise in sea level is represented by shelf mudrocks with transgressive incised shoreface sandstones. Relative sea-level oscillations as revealed in the stratigraphy of the Trihueco Formation show a reasonable correlation with published Eocene eustatic curves.     

Burial metamorphic episodes in the Andean geosyncline,Central Chile

The burial metamorphism of the Andean geosynclinal deposits of Central Chile is studied. The stratigraphic units under consideration, Lower Jurassic to Upper Cretaceous and/or Lower Tertiary in age, have an accumulated thickness of 15,000 to 28,000 m, cover an area of nearly 2,500 km², and consist predominantly of basic and acid lavas, ignimbrites and volcanic-clastic sediments, deposited in marine and continental environments. Unconformities break up the sequence into several stratigraphic-structural units.A specific burial metamorphic pattern, or series, characterizes each of the units. Each series consists of a succession of mineral assemblages, the metamorphic grade increasing downwards. The isograds are essentially parallel to the bedding planes. The grade range in each series covers different intervals between the zeolite and greenschist facies. Each unconformity corresponds to a mineralogie break in the alteration, higher grade assemblages generally overlying lower grade assemblages. The downward increase in metamorphic grade as well as the mineralogie breaks seem to be unrelated to the volcanic versus sedimentary character and to the continental versus marine depositional environment of the rocks.The repeated pattern of burial metamorphism between unconformities suggests a history consisting of several burial metamorphic episodes, each taking place prior to a folding period and leaving unaffected the underlying units, which were apparently sealed up by the previous episode. This mechanism provides an explaination for the presence of such low-grade burial metamorphic facies at the bottom of a stratigraphic column as thick as that of the Andean Geosyncline.

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Zusammenfassung Die Auswirkungen der Versenkungsmetamorphose auf die Ablagerungen der andinen Geosynklinale in Mittel-Chile wurden untersucht. Die betrachteten stratigraphischen Einheiten, unterer Jura bis obere Kreide und/oder unteres Tertiär, haben eine kumulative Mächtigkeit von 15 000 bis 28 000 m; sie bedecken ein Gebiet von fast 2500 km² und bestehen in der Hauptsache aus basischen und sauren Laven, Ignimbriten und vulkanoklastischen Sedimenten, die unter marinen und kontinentalen Bedingungen abgelagert wurden. Diskordanzen unterteilen die Abfolge in mehrere stratigraphisch-strukturelle Einheiten.Jede Einheit ist in einer besonderen, für die Versenkungsmetamorphose typischen Abfolge von Mineralgesellschaften geprägt. Der Grad der Metamorphose steigt mit zunehmender Tiefe. Die Isograden verlaufen im wesentlichen parallel zu den Schichtflächen. Die Bandbreite jeder der metamorphen Mineralgesellschaften bedeckt verschiedene Intervalle zwischen der Zeolith- und Grünschiefer-Fazies. Jeder Diskordanz entspricht auch ein Sprung in der mineralogischen Zusammensetzung, wobei die höhergradigen Mineralgesellschaften in der Regel die tiefergradigen überlagern. Der mit der Tiefe zunehmende Grad der Metamorphose und die Sprünge in der mineralogischen Zusammensetzung scheinen von dem vulkanischen bzw. sedimentären Charakter der Gesteine ebenso unabhängig zu sein wie von deren marinen bzw. kontinentalen Bildungsbedingungen.Die sich wiederholenden Muster der Versenkungsmetamorphose zwischen den Diskordanzen lassen vermuten, daß mehrere Metamorphosen stattfanden, wobei jede einzelne Umwandlung vor einer Faltungsperiode ablief und die unterlagernden Einheiten unverändert ließ, die anscheinend durch die vorangegangene Metamorphose versiegelt wurden. Dieser Mechanismus liefert eine Erklärung für die niedriggradigen Fazies der Versenkungsmetamorphose im Liegenden einer so mächtigen stratigraphischen Abfolge wie der der andinen Geosynklinale.

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Resumen En este trabajo se describe el metamorfismo de sepultamiento en los depósitos del Geosinclinal Andino. Las unidades estratigráficas estudiadas son de edad jurásica inferior a cretácica superior y/o terciaria inferior, tienen un espesor acumulado de 15.000 a 28.000 m, cubren un area de aproximadamente 2.500 km² y consisten predominantemente de lavas básicas y ácidas, ignimbritas y rocas sedimentario-volcánicas, depositadas en ambiente marino y continental.Cada una de las unidades estratigráficas está caracterizada por una serie metamórfica de sepultamiento específica. Cada serie consiste de una sucesión de asociaciones minerales con un grado de metamorfismo que aumenta hacia abajo. Las isogradas son esencialmente paralelas a los planos de estratificación. El rango de grado metamórfico de cada serie abarca diferentes intervalos entre las facies de zeolita y esquistos verdes. Cada discordancia corresponde a una discontinuidad mineralógica en la alteración en la que generalmente las asociaciones de mayor grado metamórfico cubren asociaciones de menor grado. El aumento de grado hacia abajo, lo mismo que las discontinuidades mineralógicas, parecen ser independientes tanto del carácter sedimentario o volcánico como del ambiente continental o marino de la depositación.La repetición de series metamórficas de sepultamiento entre discordancias, indica varios episodios metamórficos, cada uno de ellos anterior al plegamiento de la unidad afectada; al mismo tiempo, cada episodio metamórfico dejó sin afectar las unidades subyacentes, las que aparentemente habrían sido selladas por el episodio anterior.Este mecanismo explicaría la presencia de una facies metamórfica tan baja como la que existe en el fondo de una columna estratigráfica tan potente como la del Geosinclinal Andino.

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苏北沿海地面沉降区地下水资源管理对策探讨

苏锡常地区实例证明,沿用单一的取水许可制度已很难解决地下水资源超采及由此引发的地面沉降地质灾害问题,地下水资源管理目标应定位于地质环境保护前提下的科学适度开采。对苏北沿海盐城、大丰地面沉降区现行的地下水资源管理制度进行了探索性补充设计,重点探讨了地下水开采权交易模型和地下水资源动态规划机制,为该地区今后的地下水资源管理提供了思路。     

Evaluation of shallow geothermal energy resources in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Plain based on land use

To discover the characteristics, distribution and potential of shallow geothermal energy in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Plain area. This paper, based on a large amount of data collection and field investigations, evaluateed the shallow-layer geothermal energy in the study area through the analytic hierarchy process and comprehensive index method. Based on suitability zoning results superimposed with 1:100 000 land use data, the study area is divided into encouraged, controlled, restricted and prospective mining areas regarding the development of shallow geothermal energy, and the economic availability of shallow geothermal energy in the encouraged and controlled areas are evaluated. The results show that the shallow geothermal energy in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Plain can meet the heating and cooling demand of 6×108 m~2 of buildings, equivalent to 1.15×10~7 t of standard coal, thus reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 2.73×10~7 t and reducing sulfur dioxide emissions by 1.95×10~5 t. According to the development and utilization mode, the energy demand level and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei coordinated development plan, the development and utilization of geothermal resources in the plain area has two types: Urban concentrated mining areas and rural scattered mining areas. The scale and level of intensive utilization of regional geothermal resources are of great significance.     

Geochemical characteristics of stream sediments from an urban-volcanic zone,Central Mexico: Natural and man-made inputs

Geochemical characteristics of stream sediments [n = 31; Upstream section: Zahuapan River (1–12) and Atoyac River (13–20); Downstream section (21–31)] from Atoyac River basin of Central Mexico have been evaluated. The study focuses on the textural, petrography and chemical composition of the fluvial sediments with the aim of analyzing their provenance, the chemical weathering signature and their potential environmental effects. The fluvial sediments are mostly composed of sand and silt sized particles dominated by plagioclase, pyroxenes, amphiboles, K-feldspar, biotite, opaque and quartz. The sediments were analyzed for determination of major (Al, Fe, Ca, Mg, Na, K, P, Si, Ti), trace elements (As, Ba, Be, Co, Cr, Cu, Mo, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sc, V, Y, Zn, Zr, Ga) and compared with Upper continental crust (UCC), source area composition and local background values. The elemental concentrations were comparable with the average andesite and dacitic composition of the source area and the local background values except for enrichment of Cu (56.27 ppm), Pb (34 ppm) and Zn (235.64 ppm) in the downstream sediments suggesting a significant external influence (anthropogenic). The fluvial sediments of Atoyac River basin display low CIA and PIA values implying predominantly weak to moderate weathering conditions in the source region. Based on the provenance discrimination diagrams and elemental ratios, it is understood that the collected sediments are derived from intermediate to felsic volcanic rocks dominated in the study region. Metal contamination indices highlight the enrichment of Cu, Pb, Zn, Mo, Cr and S clearly indicating the influences from natural (weathering and volcanic activity) and external (anthropogenic) sources. Ecological risk assessment results indicate that Cr, Ni and Zn will cause adverse biological effects to the riverine environment.     

The extended economic zone,the coastal state,and economic development

The recently created exclusive economic zones constitute windfall gains for some coastal states. However, windfall gains, such as the New World's gold for Spain and oil for OPEC, are notoriously difficult to transform into permanent wealth and income streams. These difficulties are discussed in this paper. In addition, a case study of the asset values of fisheries in areas of the NW and W Central Pacific Ocean is presented in detail. For nine countries, the changes in catch, both quantity and value, which resulted from establishment of the EEZ are used as estimators of the windfall gains.     

Postglacial Vegetation and Climate of the Cascade Range, Central Oregon

Pollen data from two sites provide information on the postglacial vegetation and climate history of the Cascade Range. Indian Prairie in the western Cascade Range was colonized by subalpine forests of Pinus, Picea, and Tsuga and open meadows prior to ca. 12,400 ¹⁴C yr B.P. The treeline lay 500 to 1000 m below its modern elevation and conditions were cooler than at present. From ca. 12,400 to ca. 9950 ¹⁴C yr B.P. Abies became important and the forest resembled that presently found at middle elevations in the western Cascade Range. The pollen record implies a rise in treeline and warmer conditions than before. From ca. 10,000 to 4000-4500 ¹⁴C yr B.P., conditions that were warmer and effectively drier than today led to the establishment of a closed forest composed of Pseudotsuga , Abies, and, at lower elevations, Quercus and Corylus . During this period, Gold Lake Bog in the High Cascades was surrounded by closed forest of Pinus and Abies. The early-Holocene pollen assemblages at both Indian Prairie and Gold Lake Bog lack modern analogues, and it is likely that greater-than-present summer radiation fostered unique climatic conditions and vegetation associations at middle and high elevations. In the late Holocene, beginning ca. 4000-4500 ¹⁴C yr B.P., cooler and more humid conditions prevailed and the modern vegetation was established. A comparison of these sites with others in the Pacific Northwest suggests that major patterns of vegetational change at individual sites were a response to large-scale changes in the climate system that affected the entire region.     

Desertification and Re-Afforestation of the Coastal Land in Changjiang County,Hainan Island

Changjiang County is located to the northwest of the tailing range of the Wuzhi Mountains on Hainan Island,facing the sea and being against he Mountains.From southeast to northwest,it gradually descends in relief from mountain,hill,tableland,terrace to coastal plain.Its sandy coastal line is measued at 44.85km in length and its rocky coastal line at 7.15km along the county.The desertified coastal land covers and area of about 61.15km^2,extending from hundreds of meters to 3 km in width,of which the active sand land accounts for 5.333km^2 and the semi-active sand land,7.333km^2.The dunes are developed at the rate of 10-30m per year from the seashore toward the hinterland. The Forest Departments of Hainan Province and Changjiang County done a series of sand-control experiments.The chief technological measures are as follows:(1)to stabilize the drift sand first to create an adequate condition for afforestation;(2)to plant the big and strong saplings of Casuarin equisetifolia with nutrient bags in deep pits;and(3) to apply new techniques in “dry-season planting”to guarantee the quality of afforestation.The above experiments were successful.However,there still exist some problems such as quite seriously wilting shoot,lower survival rate of Pandanus tectorius in the vertical lines to the usual wind direction,monotonous the species in afforestation and subsequent poor management.Thus some suggestions are offered in this paper for future extension;(1)to apply REE fertilizers in the process of afforestation to increase the resistance of the plants;(2)to increase the vertical lines of Pandanus tectorius to the usual wind direcion to raise their survival rate in the network of sand stabilization;(3)to enlarge he area of liana planting to enhance the stability of sand;(4) to try to introduce new tree species from oter regions,which are of good performance in sand stabilization;(5) to interplant th adaptable economic crops;and (6)to make more investments and better management and conduct more extensive environmental education o ensure the early accomplishment of the protection forest belt around the island.     

Nutrient flux in a landscape: Effects of coastal land use and terrestrial community mosaic on nutrient transport to coastal waters

Long-term interdisciplinary studies of the Rhode River estuary and its watershed in the mid-Atlantic coastal plain of North America have measured fluxes of nitrogen and phosphorus fractions through the hydrologically-linked ecosystems of this landscape. These ecosystems are upland forest, cropland, and pasture; streamside riparian forests; floodplain swamps; tidal brackish marshes and mudflats; and an estuarine embayment. Croplands discharged far more nitrogen per hectare in runoff than did forests and pastures. However, riparian deciduous hardwood forest bordering the cropland removed over 80 percent of the nitrate and total phosphorus in overland flows and about 85 percent of the nitrate in shallow groundwater drainage from cropland. Nevertheless, nutrient discharges from riparian forests downslope from croplands still exceeded discharges from pastures and other forests. The atomic ratio of nitrogen to phosphorus discharged from the watersheds into the estuary was about 9 for total nutrients and 6 for inorganic nutrient fractions. Such a low N:P ratio would promote nitrogen rather than phosphorus limitation of phytoplankton growth in the estuary. Estuarine tidal marshes trapped particulate nutrients and released dissolved nutrients. Subtidal mudflats in the upper estuary trapped particulate P, released dissolved phosphate, and consumed nitrate. This resulted in a decrease in the ratio of dissolved inorganic N:P in the estuary. However, the upper estuary was a major sink for total phosphorus due to sediment accretion in the subtidal area. Bulk precipitation accounted for 31 percent of the total nongaseous nitrogen influx to the landscape, while farming accounted for 69 percent. Forty-six percent of the total non-gaseous nitrogen influx was removed as farm products, 53 percent either accumulated in the watershed or was lost in gaseous forms, and 1 percent entered the Rhode River. Of the total phosphorus influx to the landscape, 7 percent was from bulk precipitation and 93 percent was from farming. Forty-five percent of the total phosphorus influx was removed as farm products, 48 percent accumulated in the watershed, and 7 percent entered the Rhode River. These nitrogen and phosphorus discharges into the Rhode River, although a small fraction of total loadings to the watershed, were large enough to cause seriously overenriched conditions in the upper estuary.     

Agricultural land use in the coastal area of the Alexander von Humboldt National Park, Cuba and its implication for conservation and sustainability

In the Alexander von Humboldt National Park in eastern Cuba many endemic animals and plants are found in various different natural habitats, which are considered to be the most important ones for in-situ conservation in the entire Insular Caribbean. In some areas of the National Park agriculture is practised. Thus, the objective of this study was to document and analyse the different land use activities and their consequences for local resource management and conservation of biodiversity in two village areas. A particular question was: what has changed since the foundation of the National Park in 1996? As time series data for land use and aerial photographs were not available for this part of Cuba, a qualitative evaluation was carried out. For this, six different land use units were mapped in 2001 and additional information gathered for areas with special interest related to sustainable land use and resource conservation. Although most parts of the study area are influenced to various degrees by human impact, the different types of land use seem presently not to have a crucial or detrimental impact on the land resources of the Alexander von Humboldt National Park. However, exploitation of the natural resources in certain areas could be improved with different management options to reach sustainability as well as to meet the conservation objectives of the National Park. This includes reduced or abandoned agricultural use of steep slopes to reduce erosion risk as well as a facilitated regeneration of natural vegetation in many parts of the study area to be able to conserve the high valuable biodiversity of the Park. Environmental education seems to have played an important and successful role since the foundation of the Park in 1996. Since then, cropping on steep slopes as well as illegal logging and poaching could be reduced.     

Groundwater resources use and management in the Amu Darya River Basin (Central Asia)

This paper analyses groundwater resources use and management in the socio-economic context of the Amu Darya River Basin which covers a part of the following landlocked Central Asian countries: Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. These agrarian nations for sustaining their vital agricultural productions started to use groundwater during the recent drought years (1998–2001) because of its relatively good quality and quantity and as an alternative to highly mineralized surface waters. Present extent of groundwater resources use is discussed with consideration to their reserves, quality, and institutional management and transboundary aspects within the basin. After the collapse of the centralized water resources management system and infrastructure of the former Soviet Union, new underdeveloped systems are being practiced over the whole Amu Darya River Basin. The critical situation of groundwater management in Afghanistan is also discussed. This work attempts to document the management and use of groundwater in the Amu Darya Basin and present time management realities, with fragmented and weak national and regional regulation on groundwater. Special attention is given to groundwater resources in irrigated agriculture, which increased use in all countries of the basin is due to quick access to underground resources and relatively good quality and quantity.     

Water availability and land subsidence in the Central Valley,California, USA

The Central Valley in California (USA) covers about 52,000 km² and is one of the most productive agricultural regions in the world. This agriculture relies heavily on surface-water diversions and groundwater pumpage to meet irrigation water demand. Because the valley is semi-arid and surface-water availability varies substantially, agriculture relies heavily on local groundwater. In the southern two thirds of the valley, the San Joaquin Valley, historic and recent groundwater pumpage has caused significant and extensive drawdowns, aquifer-system compaction and subsidence. During recent drought periods (2007–2009 and 2012-present), groundwater pumping has increased owing to a combination of decreased surface-water availability and land-use changes. Declining groundwater levels, approaching or surpassing historical low levels, have caused accelerated and renewed compaction and subsidence that likely is mostly permanent. The subsidence has caused operational, maintenance, and construction-design problems for water-delivery and flood-control canals in the San Joaquin Valley. Planning for the effects of continued subsidence in the area is important for water agencies. As land use, managed aquifer recharge, and surface-water availability continue to vary, long-term groundwater-level and subsidence monitoring and modelling are critical to understanding the dynamics of historical and continued groundwater use resulting in additional water-level and groundwater storage declines, and associated subsidence. Modeling tools such as the Central Valley Hydrologic Model, can be used in the evaluation of management strategies to mitigate adverse impacts due to subsidence while also optimizing water availability. This knowledge will be critical for successful implementation of recent legislation aimed toward sustainable groundwater use.