Land subsidence and earth fissures due to groundwater withdrawal in the Southern Yangtse Delta,China

Excessive extraction of groundwater has caused severe land subsidence and earth fissures in the Southern Yangtse Delta, China. Based on field data, the temporal and spatial distribution of land subsidence is investigated and the causes for earth fissures are analyzed. The areal distribution of the land subsidence is closely related to the cones of depression in the main exploited aquifers. The compaction of a hydrostratigraphic unit depends on its mechanical behavior, thickness, compressibility, and the piezometric level changing. The primary subsidence layers in Shanghai have been the first aquitard before 1990 and the third confined aquifer since then. But the second aquitard unit was the primary subsidence layer in Changzhou. Earth fissures, trending in several directions, occurred in the Husu tectonic zone. They were mainly caused by differential subsidence and horizontal displacement that resulted from tensile stress and shear stress in units. The majority of fissures in the study area are tensile.     

The state of land subsidence and prediction approaches due to groundwater withdrawal in China

This article gives a general introduction to land subsidence with the prediction approaches due to withdrawal of groundwater in three subsided/subsiding regions in China: the deltaic plain of Yangtse River (YRDP), North China Plain (NCP), and Fenwei Plain (FP). On YRDP, Shanghai is the typical subsided/subsiding city; on NCP Tianjin is the typical subsided/subsiding city, and on FP Taiyuan is the typical subsided/subsiding city. The subsided area with subsidence over 200 mm on YRDP is about 10,000 km² and the maximum subsided value reached 2.9 m at Shanghai; on NCP the subsided area reached 60,000 km² with the maximum subsidence of 3.9 m at Tianjing; on FP the subsided area is relatively smaller than that on the other two plains and is about 1,135 km² with maximum subsidence of 3.7 m at Taiyuan city. In order to protect the civil and industrial facilities, it is necessary to predict the future development of land subsidence based on present state. Many researchers proposed several approaches to predict the land subsidence due to groundwater withdrawal according to different geological conditions and groundwater withdrawal practice. This article classifies these approaches into five categories: (i) statistical methods; (ii) 1D numerical method; (iii) quasi-3D seepage model; (iv) 3D seepage model; (v) fully coupled 3D model. In China, the former four categories are presently employed in the prediction practice and their merits and demerits are discussed. According to the prediction practice, 3D seepage model is the best method presently.     

The effect of clay dehydration on land subsidence in the Yun-Lin coastal area, Taiwan

 The smectite dehydration theory developed by Ransom and Helgeson was applied for simulation of land subsidence in the Yun-Lin coastal area, Taiwan. The volumetric reduction of smectite clay at equilibrium state was computed by assuming that the dehydration of interlayer water in smectite clay can be described with a regular solid solution reaction. By using the in situ stratigraphic data collected from the subsidence monitoring wells in the simulated area, the amounts of land subsidence caused by smectite dehydration in three scenarios with pressure variation were calculated. The results indicate that significant amounts of land subsidence can be attributed to smectite dehydration. This finding reveals that smectite dehydration is of importance for assessment and prediction of land subsidence. Additionally, the results also indicate the overburden weight has a larger effect on clay dehydration than the effective stress change resulting from over-pumping, although both of them induce relatively minor variations on land subsidence. Received: 23 February 2000 · Accepted: 23 March 2000     

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.     

The effect of stratigraphic heterogeneity on areal distribution of land subsidence at Taiyuan, northern China

Taiyuan city has experienced serious land subsidence since the 1950s, with the maximum accumulated subsidence of 2,960 mm and a total affected area of 585 km² by 2003. Tectonic settlement was found to contribute about 1% and the major cause is over-exploitation of groundwater. The spatial–temporal relationship between the areal distribution of land subsidence and that of groundwater drawdown from 1956 to 2000 indicates that although land subsidence centers overall match groundwater depression cones, there are local deviations, and that although the time series curves are similar, land subsidence always lags behind groundwater level decline, with different lag time at different sites. The major findings of this work on the control of stratigraphic heterogeneity on the spatial pattern of land subsidence at Taiyuan include: (1) land subsidence centers shift from the corresponding groundwater depression cones to the sides with thicker accumulated clay layers; (2) under the same pumping rate, land subsidence at places with more clay interlayers and thinner individual interlayers is greater and the lag time shorter; and (3) land subsidence is closely related to the physical properties of clay soils. The Interbed Storage Package-1, a modular subroutine of MODFLOW was employed to simulate the areal distribution of individual layer compression. The modeling results show that compression of different clay layers has different contribution to land subsidence. Pumping groundwater from water-bearing zones close to the most compressible clay layers should therefore be carefully controlled.     

Arsenic distribution and source in groundwater of Yangtze River Delta economic region,China

This thesis focuses Arsenic(As) distribution and occurrence in groundwater of Yangtze River Delta economic region, East China. 2019 groundwater samples were collected to analyze 26 chemical compositions, including As. The Principal Component Analysis(PCA) was used to find out As source in groundwater. The results show that average As concentration in groundwater of this study is 9.33 μg/l, and maximum As concentration is up to 510 μg/l. The variation coefficient is 314.34%. High arsenic phreatic water(10 μg/l) distributes along the Yangtze River and its estuary. Weak hydrodynamic conditions, wide p H value variation range and deteriorating environment are dominating factors, especially in Yangtze River Delta. The PCA suggests that arsenic in phreatic water is mainly of natural origin. Part of arsenic may directly originate from sediment organics and be related to organics decomposition.     

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.     

长江三角洲地区深基坑降水与地面沉降模拟预测耦合模型研究

长江三角洲地区深基坑降水复杂,且极易引起地面沉降地质灾害问题,传统的基于地下水动力学原理的解析解模型(Theis公式或Dupuit公式)已难以满足降水设计模拟计算的需要,尤其是无法预测降水引起的地面沉降问题,深基坑降水与地面沉降耦合模型将地下水渗流模型和土体应力-应变模型耦合起来,可根据基坑地下水位的控制要求,同时模拟计算出降水井的布局、各井的开采量和地面沉降量。据此确定出的基坑降水方案既能满足地下水位的控制要求,又能对降水引起的地面沉降进行最优化控制。     

苏锡常地区地面沉降防控最新进展评述

苏锡常地区是长江三角洲平原地面沉降最为严重的地区之一,2000年以来,通过监测、勘查研究结合地下水限采禁采管理,有效地控制了灾害的进一步蔓延。以多年的监测研究工作（水准测量、GPS测量、D-InSAR测量）为基础,通过对大量实测数据的分析,总结了这一过程中地面沉降、地裂缝、地下水位的动态变化规律,所有证据都表明了地面沉降的减弱或停止。同时指出浅部沉降、局部区块地下水位漏斗与地面沉降依然严重。     

Land subsidence caused by groundwater exploitation in Suzhou City,China

Suzhou City, located at the lower reaches of the Yangtze River in southeastern Jiangsu Province, is one of the few cities in China which suffer from severe ground settlement. A research project was carried out to investigate this problem. Geological and hydrogeological studies show that there is a multi-layered aquifer system with three distinct, soft mud layers of marine and lagoonal origins. An examination of historical records of groundwater extraction, water levels, and ground settlement shows that the ground subsidence is associated with the continuously increasing groundwater extraction in the deep, confined aquifer. It is believed that the consolidation of the soft mud layers, especially the third layer which is thick and close to the main pumped aquifer, contributes to the ground settlement. A three-dimensional finite difference numerical model representing the multi-layered aquifer system was developed to study the ground settlement in response to groundwater extraction. By calibrating the model with both the measured groundwater level and ground settlement, the aquifer parameters were estimated. The model outputs fit reasonably well with the observed results, which indicates that the numerical model can reproduce the dynamic processes of both groundwater flow and soil consolidation. The hydraulic conductivity of the third mud layer near the center of the ground settlement has been reduced by over 30% in the last 14 years. The gradual deterioration in the hydraulic conductivity of the mud may have significant adverse effect on the sustainable groundwater resource of the deep confined aquifer, since the recharge from the shallow aquifers through the mud layer is the only source of water to the deep aquifer. An analysis of the spatial distributions of groundwater drawdown and ground settlement shows that the area with maximum drawdown is not necessarily the area with maximum ground settlement due to the occurrence of the soft mud layer. A simple reallocation in pumping rates on the basis of the spatial distribution of the thick mud layer could significantly reduce the ground settlement. Electronic Publication     

长江三角洲地区地面沉降监测

该文是由中国地质调查局部署,江浙沪地调院开展的“长江三角洲(长江以南)地区环境地质综合研究”项目之子课题——地面沉降监测网络规划方案研究之初步成果的介绍,着重介绍该地区地面沉降现状、地面沉降监测的技术方法和分布,并对今后监测工作做了一定的思考。     

上海长江隧道工程岩土地质与施工沉降控制

上海长江隧道工程穿越长江河口,工程施工面临诸多技术难关。分析评价了所在区域的水文与岩土地质特征,阐述了工程施工特点及地面沉降控制技术。     

Characterization of regional land subsidence in Yangtze Delta, China: the example of Su-Xi-Chang area and the city of Shanghai

Su-Xi-Chang area and the city of Shanghai, 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 are treated as a single area for a land subsidence study, which could more clearly elaborate the relationships between the deformation features of hydrostratigraphic units and the different sites of the cone of depression. All hydrostratigraphic units in the study area were discussed throughout. Based on the field data, including data on compression of individual strata from groups of extensometers and groundwater levels from observation wells, the relationship between the deformation and the groundwater level was analyzed. The results indicate that the deformation features of the hydrogeologic units are greatly related to hydrogeologic properties and groundwater-level variations. An identical hydrogeologic unit may exhibit different deformation features in different locations such as along the periphery and in the center of the cone of depression. In addition, in the same location, a hydrogeologic unit also exhibits different features in different periods because of different groundwater level variations. The delay phenomenon of the sandy aquifer is not specific but occurs widely.     

Land subsidence in Bangkok, Thailand

Land subsidence from deep well pumping has been affecting Bangkok for the past 35 years. Its impact is particularly critical because of the flat low-lying topography and the presence of a thick soft clay layer at the ground surface that augment flood risk and foundation engineering problems, respectively. The subsidence reached its most critical state in the early 1980s when it occurred at a rate as high as 120 mm/year. The rate decreased in the subsequent period but the subsidence-affected area expanded following the growth of the city. Despite various attempts implemented to remedy the crisis, groundwater pumping from the thick aquifer system underneath the city continued to increase from 1.2 million m³/day in the early 1980s to more than 2.0 million m³/day at the turn of the century. Piezometric levels in the main aquifer layers had been drawn down by as much as 65 m. Monitoring data showed a clear correlation between the subsidence and piezometric drawdown. The data suggested that for 1 m³ of groundwater pumped out in Bangkok Plain, approximately 0.10 m³ of ground loss occurred at the surface. Significant development has been made in numerical methods for prediction of differential settlements between building foundations caused by the piezometric drawdown in the aquifers. The strict mitigation measures adopted recently, comprising a pricing policy for groundwater management, an expansion of tap water supply, and strict enforcement of groundwater laws, have resulted in a marked drop in groundwater use. However, the land subsidence will continue for a long while owing to the time-dependent consolidation behavior of the soft clay layer and clay aquitards.     

Numerical simulation of land subsidence induced by groundwater overexploitation in Su-Xi-Chang area,China

Su-Xi-Chang area is one of the typical regions in China which suffers from severe land subsidence. Various field monitoring records were integrated to study the characteristics and mechanisms of land subsidence in this region. The development of the land subsidence in this region shows a tight spatial and temporal correlation with the groundwater pumping. Based on the analysis of the field data, it is found that the deformation patterns of the hydrogeologic units are greatly related to the hydrogeologic properties and groundwater level variations. Some have an elastic behavior, others may have an elastic–plastic rheology. Hence, a 3D finite element numerical model considering the rheological properties of the soil was developed to simulate the groundwater level and land subsidence. Both hydraulic conductivity and specific storage were expected to vary with the porosity during the process of consolidation. Multiscale finite element method (MsFEM) was applied to solve the model during the period from 1996 to 2004. After calibrating the model with the observed groundwater level and subsidence data, the parameters of the multi-layers system were estimated. The calibrated model outputs fit reasonably well with the observed data. Consequently the model can be applied to predict groundwater level and land subsidence in future pumping scenarios. The model predictive results show that land subsidence rate can be controlled and even rebound may occur after the implementation of the groundwater exploitation prohibition. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Characterization of land subsidence in the Choshui River alluvial fan,Taiwan

Land subsidence in Taiwan has increased rapidly over the past four decades, owing to heavy withdrawal of groundwater. Leveling surveys, layer compressions and groundwater level in individual layers were continuously monitored in the Choshui alluvial fan, western Taiwan. It was found that ground subsidence and layer compression were consistent with the variation of groundwater level. From multi-level compression monitoring, the layers with major compression deformation were identified. Clayey and sandy layers exhibited significant compression deformation. Conceptual models of compression behavior for clays and sands were studied based on the field data. The compression behavior of clays agreed with the Terzaghi consolidation theory. Notable, irrecoverable volumetric strains were also observed in sandy layers. They exhibited obvious elasto-plastic mechanical behavior. The high compressibility of the sand layer in the alluvial fan was attributed to the flaky sand grains in this geological region.     

Characterization of land subsidence induced by groundwater withdrawals in Su-Xi-Chang area, China

Su-Xi-Chang area is one of the typical regions in China which suffers from severe land subsidence. Various tools of field monitoring were integrated to study the characteristics and mechanisms of land subsidence in this region. The occurrence and the development of the land subsidence in this region are strongly related to the groundwater pumping both in time and space. The main consolidation layers are the soft mud layers; however, the compressibility of the confined sandy layers should not be ignored. The second and third confined aquifers contributed more than 30% of total subsidence. Meanwhile, irrecoverable deformations were also observed in the sandy layers. Different sandy layers deform diversely under different stress conditions. Some have the elastic feature. But the soil strata, including both sandy layers and clayey layers, located in the center of the groundwater level depression cone exhibited obvious viscous mechanical behavior which caused the common lag phenomenon. The sand composition (mingled with small clay particles or interbeds) and sand rheology are the two main reasons for the lag phenomena in sandy layers. A series of laboratory tests for modeling the effective stress changes due to groundwater withdrawals, were conducted to investigate the mechanism of the lag phenomenon. Based on the test results, the relationship of stress–strain–time for saturated sands is obtained; and it could be expressed as power functions. The results also showed that the compression of the sandy layers was time dependent, and its deformation could be remarkable. When establishing land subsidence model, the deformation for the similar soil formation could be elastic, visco-elastic and even visco-elastic–plastic, because of the different groundwater level fluctuation experienced.     

长江三角洲经济区工业用地地质环境适宜性评价

在系统分析长江三角洲经济区地质条件与地质环境问题的基础上,深入研究了该地区工业用地与地质环境之间的相互关系,从而建立了基于工业用地的地质环境适宜性评价指标体系,并利用层次分析法确定指标权重,通过定性分析与定量计算相结合的方式,运用加权平均综合指数法对该地区的工业用地地质环境适宜程度进行综合评价。评价结果表明,长江三角洲经济区工业用地的地质环境适宜区及较适宜区占研究区陆域总面积的59%,总体情况较好。     

Monitoring land subsidence in Semarang,Indonesia

Semarang is one of the biggest cities in Indonesia and nowadays suffering from extended land subsidence, which is due to groundwater withdrawal, to natural consolidation of alluvium soil and to the load of constructions. Land subsidence causes damages to infrastructure, buildings, and results in tides moving into low-lying areas. Up to the present, there has been no comprehensive information about the land subsidence and its monitoring in Semarang. This paper examines digital elevation model (DEM) and benchmark data in Geographic Information System (GIS) raster operation for the monitoring of the land subsidence in Semarang. This method will predict and quantify the extent of subsidence in future years. The future land subsidence prediction is generated from the expected future DEM in GIS environment using ILWIS package. The procedure is useful especially in areas with scarce data. The resulting maps designate the area of land subsidence that increases rapidly and it is predicted that in 2020, an area of 27.5 ha will be situated 1.5–2.0 m below sea level. This calculation is based on the assumption that the rate of land subsidence is linear and no action is taken to protect the area from subsidence.     

A century of land subsidence in Ravenna, Italy

Over the last century the Ravenna area has been affected by a widespread land subsidence process of both natural and anthropogenic origin which has become a matter of increasingly great concern. Land settlement, initially of the order of a few mm/year, dramatically increased up to 110 mm/year after World War II primarily due to groundwater pumping and, subordinately, gas production from a number of deep on-shore and off-shore reservoirs. Spirit leveling was carried out in the area of the Ravenna Municipality by various authorities and agencies ever since the end of the nineteenth century using an increasingly refined network of benchmarks. The available information, spanning the time interval from 1897 to 2002, has been implemented and homogenized into a Geographic Information System (GIS). Measurements processed by kriging provide the pattern of the subsidence rates over the municipal territory during eight sub-periods. The reliability of data processing is discussed for both magnitude and areal distribution of the occurrence, showing a pronounced nonlinear behavior in time, as related to the major responsible factors. Cumulative land subsidence approaches almost 1 m over more than one third of the municipality area including the city and a significant fraction of the coastland, with peaks larger than 1.5 m over a 10 km² zone located between the historical center and the coastline. Most recent records show that at present the mainland appears to be substantially stable, whereas some coastal areas are still subsiding at a rate of about 10 mm/year with a significant threat to the environment and the infrastructures as well, although to a lesser extent than in the past decades.