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.     

基于时序InSAR和GPS技术的北京平原区地表三维形变场特征

文中采用InSAR与GPS技术相结合,获取了北京平原区时序地表三维形变场信息,分析了其分布特征与演化规律.研究表明:(1)北京平原区在抽水引发的第四系附加应力场作用下,地表呈现出显著的三维变形特征,以垂向变形为主,并辅以水平向位移.(2)平原区地面沉降主要集中在东部、北部和南部等地,存在多个沉降中心,总体呈减缓的趋势....     

Monitoring Koyulhisar landslide using rapid static GPS: a strategy to remove biases from vertical velocities

GPS is frequently used in the monitoring of natural hazards and other geophysical phenomena. Landslide monitoring is one such area in which various GPS methods are tested and various systematic error sources are introduced. In previous studies, one error source introduced on rapid static GPS was the effect of large height differences in GPS positions. In this study, we further investigate how GPS velocities/slip rates are affected by large station height differences when rapid static surveying is used. In order to demonstrate the influences, we used static GPS measurements from the Koyulhisar landslide in central Turkey. Comparison of rapid static GPS solutions with static GPS solutions using BERNESE 5.0 indicates that systematic biases occur in the estimated rapid static GPS deformation rates when the station height difference is large between baseline points. The effect is more significant on the vertical component, whereas it is negligible on the horizontal components. When reducing the height difference between the reference station and the rover stations, rapid static solutions from 15-min sessions show high correlation and similar deformation rates with static positioning solutions.     

Impact of the unpredictable changes in agricultural groundwater use on long-term sustainable exploitation: the case study of Bouhefna-Haffouz aquifer system,central Tunisia

Long-term exploitation schemes in many regions are often based solely on hydrodynamic factors, while the agricultural use of groundwater undergoes significant changes over time. The Bouhefna-Haffouz aquifer system in central Tunisia is one of those cases where an aquifer exploitation scheme was well designed hydrodynamically to address the political needs at the time. Fifty years later, a numerical groundwater model has been conducted to assess the sustainability of the scheme. Results show that the scheme aimed to lower the groundwater level to reduce overflow to Merguellil Wadi and maintain it at a level that benefits agricultural profitability. This caused loss of the Merguellil baseflow, forcing farmers to switch from traditional irrigation canals to deep wells and motor pumps, thereby disrupting the hydrological budget even further. The numerical model indicates that the flow to the wadi reached zero in 1978, the average flow by vertical leakage decreased from 8 hm³ in 1970 to 2 hm³ in 2020, and the horizontal percolation between the regional aquifer units increased from 1 hm³ in 1970 to 6 hm³ in 2020. Although the groundwater exploitation scheme was not previously considered a factor in local hydrological changes, the results of this study demonstrate the significant impact of societal behavior following the scheme’s implementation on the hydrological budget of Merguellil Wadi.

     

Secular crustal deformation and interplate coupling of the Japanese Islands as deduced from continuous GPS array, 1996–2001

Data from the nation-wide GPS continuous tracking network that has been operated by the Geographical Survey Institute of Japan since April 1996 were used to study crustal deformation in the Japanese Islands. We first extracted site coordinate from daily SINEX files for the period from April 1, 1996 to February 24, 2001. Since raw time series of station coordinates include coseismic and postseismic displacements as well as seasonal variation, we model each time series as a combination of linear and trigonometric functions and jumps for episodic events. Estimated velocities were converted into a kinematic reference frame [Heki, K., 1996. Horizontal and vertical crustal movements from three-dimensional very long baseline interferometry kinematic reference frame: implication for reversal timescale revision. J. Geophys. Res., 101: 3187–3198.] to discuss the crustal deformation relative to the stable interior of the Eurasian plate. A Least-Squares Prediction technique has been used to segregate the signal and noise in horizontal as well as vertical velocities. Estimated horizontal signals (horizontal displacement rates) were then differentiated in space to calculate principal components of strain. Dilatations, maximum shear strains, and principal axes of strain clearly portray tectonic environments of the Japanese Islands. On the other hand, the interseismic vertical deformation field of the Japanese islands is derived for the same GPS data interval. The GPS vertical velocities are combined with 31 year tide gage records to estimate absolute vertical velocity. The results of vertical deformation show that (1) the existence of clear uplift of about 6 mm/yr in Shikoku and Kii Peninsula, whereas pattern of subsidence is observed in the coast of Kyushu district. This might reflect strong coupling between the Philippine Sea plate and overriding plate at the Nankai Trough and weak coupling off Kyushu, (2) no clear vertical deformation pattern exists along the Pacific coast of northeastern Japan. This might be due to the long distance between the plate boundary (Japan trench) and overriding plate where GPS sites are located, (3) significant uplift is observed in the southwestern part of Hokkaido and in northeastern Tohoku along the Japan Sea coast. This is possibly due to the viscoelastic rebound of the 1983 Japan Sea (M_w 7.7) and the 1993 Hokkaido–Nansei–Oki (M_w 7.8) earthquakes and/or associated with distributed compression of incipient subduction there. We then estimate the elastic deformation of the Japanese Islands caused by interseismic loading of the Pacific and Philippine Sea subduction plates. The elastic models account for most of the observed horizontal velocity field if the subduction movement of the Philippine Sea Plate is 100% locked and if that of the Pacific Plate is 70% locked. However, the best fit for vertical velocity ranges from 80% to 100% coupling factor in southwestern Japan and only 50% in northeastern Japan. Since horizontal data does not permit the separation of rigid plate motion and interplate coupling because horizontal velocities include both contributions, we used the vertical velocities to discriminate between them. So, we can say there is strong interplate coupling (80%–100%) over the Nankaido subduction zone, whereas it is about 50% only over the Kurile–Japan trench.     

Erratum to: Integration of GPS with InSAR to monitoring of the Jiaju landslide in Sichuan,China

In 2006, a cooperation project between China Geological Survey and the Geological Survey of Canada started the monitoring of the landslide along the deep-cut valley in the western Sichuan using integrated GPS and InSAR observation at the Jiaju landslide. Both GPS and InSAR techniques provided complementary measurements with the GPS providing horizontal movement and InSAR providing vertical motion. Meanwhile, InSAR images demonstrate also an effective tool to recognize new landslides in complex steep mountain region. The GPS observations provide continuous monitoring data while InSAR data provide monthly measurements. The differential InSAR results show a deformation information that divided the Jiaju landslide to two areas, the north and south parts. The north part is sliding greater than the southern part in spatial domain. The sliding was faster in 2008 than that in 2006 in time domain, suggesting a gradual increased acceleration over time. The GPS displacement data during the past 2  years show the northern part slid horizontally 55–207 mm/a and vertically −23 mm/a, while the southern part slid horizontally 12–34 mm/a; and the vertical displacement mainly moved downward 0.05 to 12 mm/a. On average, the observations from December of 2006 to January of 2008 indicate that the northern part is sliding at 41.6 mm/a horizontally and 43.9 mm/a vertically, while the southern part is sliding at 16.1 mm/a horizontally and 17.5 mm/a vertically. The data acquired through the GPS and InSAR are generally comparable. Geological survey revealed some secondary landslides, cracks, and fissures within the deformation of the Jiaju landslide that could be induced by following factors: surface water drainage, river erosion, and slope cutting and overloading.     

用地震资料估计的龙门山断裂深部形变及其对于汶川地震成因的意义

2008年5月12日汶川8.0级地震前龙门山断裂被“忽视”的原因之一是地质学证据和GPS测量证据均显示龙门山断裂长期以来形变速率很低。问题是,构造地质的结果是对一个较长的时间尺度的,而GPS结果反映的是较短时间尺度上的、地表上的、水平方向的形变,因此有理由怀疑由此得到的结论能否反映现今龙门山断裂的深部形变的全貌。我们采用类似于Kostrov方法的思路,利用最近30 a的地震资料,试图研究龙门山断裂的深部形变,并与其相邻的断裂进行比较。利用ML2.5以上的微震资料,给出了沿龙门山断裂带的累积Benioff应变,并根据震级频度关系计算了a值的空间分布。作为对照,同时计算了龙门山断裂邻区沿鲜水河、安宁河、则木河断裂各区域内的累积Benioff应变和a值。结果表明,在与地质学证据不同的时间尺度上,在与GPS证据不同的时间尺度、不同的深度上,并且不仅考虑到水平形变,与周边的断裂带相比,龙门山断裂带其实并不是一个“安静的”断裂带。在更短的时间尺度上,可以回溯性地观察到微震活动的一些异常变化,但这些变化似乎很难用于该地震的预测。我们讨论了相关的观测资料分析对于汶川地震的成因的意义。     

承压含水层减压降水对既有盾构隧道影响研究

当基坑需进行非截断条件下的承压含水层降水时,承压水抽降产生的影响范围远大于基坑开挖的影响范围,其对基坑外既有隧道的影响值得重视。进行了承压层减压降水对既有盾构隧道影响的有限元仿真模拟,考虑了既有隧道相对于承压含水层不同位置时,既有隧道周围土体应力场、既有隧道横断面内力和变形。研究结果表明,隧道全部或者大部分位于承压含水层中时,抽水除可引起隧道发生整体隆起或沉降外,还将导致隧道自身产生较大的竖向压缩变形;当隧道全部位于上、下部隔水层时,含水层抽水对其隧道的变形影响不大,但当隧道位于上部隔水层情况下,抽水将会引起隧道产生整体下沉。     

Neotectonics and current hydrologically-induced karst deformation. Case study of the Plateau de Calern (Alpes-Maritimes,France)

The astronomical and geodetic observatory OCA, located on the karst plateau of Calern (Caussols, France), has been monitoring earth deformation for several years. Two medium baseline tiltmeters have been installed in a shaft in 2007, along with classical hydrogeological monitoring tools in order to investigate the relationship between current karst deformation and hydrology. Dye tests have shown that the plateau is drained towards the East, to the spring of Bramafam, except for its Western third. Karst tilting, as recorded by the tiltmeters, is linked to rainfall events. These instruments bring additional information to characterize different reservoirs: the deep karst aquifer of Bramafan with high amplitude oscillations of its water table, up to 100 m, the perched aquifer of Moustiques shaft whose response is attenuated, and several slope aquifers with reduced oscillations (Fontaniers, Castel Bon Pré).

Tilt deformation reaches 8 μad with a definite orientation between N90°E and N100°E. The best correlation between hydrology and tilts is observed for the deep aquifers. If the first autumn rainfall is ineffective on tilt, it recharges the epikarst and refills the reserves. The winter rains cause the water to flush towards the eastern deep aquifer and provokes a quick tilting of the plateau. Finally, the long term variations in tilt and water table show a very good correlation.

The relationship between current hydrological deformations and tectonics is also analyzed; broken and shifted speleothems in the shafts indicate a general shift of the plateau towards the south.     

GPS自动化监测技术在接娘坪变形体中的应用

接娘坪变形体位于贵州省都匀市,鉴于该地区的严重变形和可能失稳造成的严重后果,决定对该地区的变形进行监测。通过对该类型变形体监测预警指标的探讨,结合国内相关项目的经验和该地区的地形地貌等条件,选择了基于GPS的自动化监测技术,并辅以表面裂缝监测和降雨量监测。通过对该项目的建设,介绍了自动监测系统的组成与设计,并对一机多天线的技术进行了明确的阐述。通过表面裂缝和表面位移监测数据的对比,在一定程度上进一步印证了GPS在该项目的适用性。自2013年3月至今,该系统的监测结果显示监测点累计变形和沉降量最大的点都位于G2号监测站上,且4个监测点的平面变形方向都向煤矿集中开采的南西向,这反映了该坡体的变形主要是与山体下部煤矿开采有关,与当地降雨量的关系不明显。     

On estimating the earthquake-induced changes in hydrogeological properties of the Choshuishi Alluvial Fan, Taiwan

The hydrological response of the Choshuishi alluvial fan to the 1999 Chi-Chi earthquake shows that the earthquake did impact the aquifer. The possible earthquake-induced changes in hydrogeological properties were investigated in this study. First, contour maps of the hydrologic anomaly, seismic factors, and vertical ground-surface displacement were compared qualitatively. Bulls eye patterns were found on the contour maps of hydraulic conductivity, coseismic groundwater-level change and vertical ground-surface displacement but did not occur with other seismic factors. The more permeable zones of the aquifer were found to coincide with the locations of greater vertical ground-surface displacement and coseismic groundwater-level change in the 1999 Chi-Chi earthquake. This indicates that the change of the hydrogeologic properties of Choshuishi alluvial fan due to the 1999 Chi-Chi earthquake may have mainly occurred in the highly permeable zones. Fractal, cross semivariogram and cross correlogram analyses were performed to quantitatively measure the persistency, variability and similarity, respectively, of spatial hydrologic response, seismic factors and hydraulic conductivity. The groundwater-level change, earthquake intensity, and vertical ground-surface displacement were found to show antipersistent tendencies while other factors showed the opposite. Higher correlations were found between hydraulic conductivity and groundwater-level change in aquifers 2–1 and 2–2, and between hydraulic conductivity and vertical ground-surface displacement in aquifer 3. Changes in porosities and hydraulic conductivity were evaluated in the main aquifers of the Choshuishi alluvial fan based on the data of hydrologic anomaly and the vertical ground-surface displacement. While both approaches show that the 1999 Chi-Chi earthquake has impacted the Choshuishi alluvial fan by reducing its porosity and hydraulic conductivity, these changes were not significant relative to natural variation in hydraulic conductivity.This revised version was published in May 2005 with correction to the rubric.     

DInSAR-based monitoring of land subsidence related to groundwater over-exploitation: example from developing urban center of Nairobi,Kenya

Over-exploitation of groundwater in many evolving urban settings causes ground subsidence and permanent loss of aquifer storage capacity. DInSAR (differential interferometric synthetic aperture radar) time series data from 2016 to 2019 were used to monitor and model the surface deformation around Nairobi, Kenya, where the water demand has exceeded the supply without capacity augmentation for over two decades. The aquifer system constitutes hard rock to semiconfined ash beds in volcanic terrain. The Small Baseline DInSAR technique identified the spatial pattern of subsidence and magnitude (line-of-sight (LOS) velocity), which exceeds 41 mm/year in the semiconfined aquifer towards the western-central part of Nairobi. The spatial distribution of subsidence is consistent with the groundwater level drop and probable compaction modeled using aquifer characteristics for 1950–2015. The Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) data at a station from 2007 to 2018 indicate a cumulative 4-cm subsidence which is comparable to ~2.5-cm LOS subsidence from the present study for 2016–2019. The correlation with other hydrological data suggests the aquifer is experiencing inelastic subsidence due to unsustainable groundwater extraction, putting a massive strain on Nairobi’s aquifer system. The present DInSAR based study establishes its effectiveness in the monitoring of groundwater over-exploitation-based subsidence and associated hazard to the aquifer in emerging urban centers.

     

青藏高原东缘活动构造

青藏高原东缘由岷山断块和龙门山构造带构成。以活动构造地貌学为主线,在解析该地区主干断裂晚第四纪以来活动的地质地貌表现的基础上,对一批断裂运动学和史前强震活动的定量数据进行分析研究,结果表明:在岷山断块中,虎牙断裂的平均左旋滑动速率为1.4 mm/a,垂直滑动速率为0.3 mm/a。岷江断裂的平均垂直滑动速率介于0.37 mm/a~0.53 mm/a之间,左旋位错量与垂直位错量大致相当;在龙门山构造带中,茂汶-汶川断裂、北川-映秀断裂和彭县-灌县断裂的平均垂直滑动速率均在1 mm/a左右,且几条主干断裂的右旋位错量与垂直位错量相当。结合震源机制解结果和GPS测量资料,建立晚新生代以来青藏高原东缘向南东方向逸出的构造变形模式。     

Experimental study on the vertical deformation of aquifer soils under conditions of withdrawing and recharging of groundwater in Tongchuan region,China

Land subsidence due to aquifer-system compaction accompanying groundwater extraction is a global hazard. Rising urban construction and groundwater demand necessitate increased awareness and better understanding of the geological problem. Motivated by the lack of laboratory-scale studies on this issue, an experimental investigation on the newly developed Tongchuan region, China, is presented. The study addresses the deformation behaviors of three soil samples, with the lithology of silty clay, silt, and fine sand, under the conditions of groundwater withdrawal and recharge using the GDS Consolidation Testing System. Results indicate that all three samples were characterized by elastic–plastic deformation under the conditions of withdrawing and recharging. The vertical deformation of the silty clay in the aquitard above the first confined aquifer was larger than those of the other two samples, and its deformation is a gradual and long process; thus, considerable attention should be paid to deformation in this aquitard due to the apparent creep effect and tiny rebound deformation. However, the settlement of the fine sand in the second confined aquifer cannot be ignored due to the great thickness of the aquifer. For the same soil, as the pore-water pressure declined, the unit rate of vertical deformation decreased gradually, whereas the creep effect of deformation in the later declining stage of pore-water pressure was more apparent than that in the former declining stage. These observations are highly important to the local government, which is developing measures to prevent and control subsidence.     

Time series analyses of hydrological parameter variations and their correlations at a coastal area in Busan,South Korea

Monitoring and time-series analysis of the hydrological parameters electrical conductivity (EC), water pressure, precipitation and tide were carried out, to understand the characteristics of the parameter variations and their correlations at a coastal area in Busan, South Korea. The monitoring data were collected at a sharp interface between freshwater and saline water at the depth of 25 m below ground. Two well-logging profiles showed that seawater intrusion has largely expanded (progressed inland), and has greatly affected the groundwater quality in a coastal aquifer of tuffaceous sedimentary rock over a 9-year period. According to the time series analyses, the periodograms of the hydrological parameters present very similar trends to the power spectral densities (PSD) of the hydrological parameters. Autocorrelation functions (ACF) and partial autocorrelation functions (PACF) of the hydrological parameters were produced to evaluate their self-correlations. The ACFs of all hydrologic parameters showed very good correlation over the entire time lag, but the PACF revealed that the correlations were good only at time lag 1. Crosscorrelation functions (CCF) were used to evaluate the correlations between the hydrological parameters and the characteristics of seawater intrusion in the coastal aquifer system. The CCFs showed that EC had a close relationship with water pressure and precipitation rather than tide. The CCFs of water pressure with tide and precipitation were in inverse proportion, and the CCF of water pressure with precipitation was larger than that with tide.     

Analysis of hydrodynamic and hydrochemical behaviour of an aquifer using dialysis cells

Passive multi-level sampling using dialysis membrane diffusion cells is applied to the Chalk aquifer in order to estimate and monitor vertical contaminant distribution. This technique is associated with in situ profiles of field parameters which allow zones of groundwater flow to be established. Through three study cases (confined, semi-confined and unconfined aquifer conditions), the technique shows that vertical chemical heterogeneities are the particular result of flow zonation, or the renewal of water in the upper parts of the aquifer. The aquifer appears stratified or homogeneous according to depth depending on the chemical element being analysed, the sampling period (recharge period or not) and the hydrological situation (unconfined/confined zone). The high vertical resolution of this multi-level sampling also shows the influence of the Chalk lithology on hydrochemical variations, in particular for silica, iron and aluminium, in hardground and marly zones. By using these sampling techniques, the study emphasizes the importance of accurately measuring according to depth certain parameters such as temperature, electrical conductivity and the ratios of the major elements, in particular, Na/K, Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca. Interpretation of these measurements leads to an understanding of the local hydrodynamic and hydrochemical behaviour of an aquifer, and also allows geological heterogeneities to be located.     

Geostatistics as a groundwater exploration planning tool: case of a brackish-saline aquifer

This paper discusses a geostatistical approach to model a groundwater aquifer in 3-D. The study aims at utilizing geostatistics as a tool for characterizing zones of better-water quality in a brackish-saline aquifer. In particular, the geostatistical model was constructed to characterize the aquifer’s salinity, represented by total dissolved solids (TDS), using logs of porosity and resistivity. Quality-checked estimated TDS vertical profiles were employed to construct and model horizontal and vertical semivariograms. Parameters of semivariogram models were used to develop both the kriging plan and the generated model. Results of this modeling process are shown in the form of horizontal salinity distribution maps. The aquifer was sliced into 20 layers, each 20 m thick, to represent its overall thickness. Salinity layers maps reflect vertical stratification of TDS concentrations in the aquifer and show that water quality deteriorates with depth and toward the northern part of the aquifer. Relatively better-quality water (TDS ≤10,000 mg/l) can be found at depths between 100 and 250 m below the aquifer’s top in both eastern and southeastern parts. Water in the same interval to the western and southwestern parts reflects the presence of higher TDS concentration. From a planning point of view, it is more feasible to target the eastern part of the aquifer for pumping and desalination purposes. In addition, the generated model could be utilized as an initial condition for flow simulation.     

Numerical groundwater-flow modeling to evaluate potential effects of pumping and recharge: implications for sustainable groundwater management in the Mahanadi delta region,India

Process-based groundwater models are useful to understand complex aquifer systems and make predictions about their response to hydrological changes. A conceptual model for evaluating responses to environmental changes is presented, considering the hydrogeologic framework, flow processes, aquifer hydraulic properties, boundary conditions, and sources and sinks of the groundwater system. Based on this conceptual model, a quasi-three-dimensional transient groundwater flow model was designed using MODFLOW to simulate the groundwater system of Mahanadi River delta, eastern India. The model was constructed in the context of an upper unconfined aquifer and lower confined aquifer, separated by an aquitard. Hydraulic heads of 13 shallow wells and 11 deep wells were used to calibrate transient groundwater conditions during 1997–2006, followed by validation (2007–2011). The aquifer and aquitard hydraulic properties were obtained by pumping tests and were calibrated along with the rainfall recharge. The statistical and graphical performance indicators suggested a reasonably good simulation of groundwater flow over the study area. Sensitivity analysis revealed that groundwater level is most sensitive to the hydraulic conductivities of both the aquifers, followed by vertical hydraulic conductivity of the confining layer. The calibrated model was then employed to explore groundwater-flow dynamics in response to changes in pumping and recharge conditions. The simulation results indicate that pumping has a substantial effect on the confined aquifer flow regime as compared to the unconfined aquifer. The results and insights from this study have important implications for other regional groundwater modeling studies, especially in multi-layered aquifer systems.     

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.