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.     

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.     

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 development and control of the land subsidence in the Yangtze Delta,China

Land subsidence in China occurs predominantly in 17 provinces (cities) situated in the eastern and middle regions of the country, including Shanghai, Tianjin and Jiangsu, and Hebei provinces. It is primarily caused by groundwater overpumping. One of the areas most severely affected by land subsidence is the Yangtze Delta, most of which consists of Shanghai City, the Su-Xi-Chang area (Suzhou, Wuxi and Changzhou cities) of Jiangsu Province, and the Hang-Jia-Hu area (Hangzhou, Jiaxing and Huzhou cities) of Zhejiang Province. The excessive exploitation of groundwater forms in a large regional cone of depression and, consequently, land subsidence is also regional, currently centered in the Shanghai and Su-Xi-Chang areas. In 2002, the maximum cumulative subsidence of Shanghai, Su-Xi-Chang and Hang-Jia-Hu were 2.63 m, 2.00 and 1.06 m, respectively. The land subsidence area is continuing to expand throughout the Yangtze Delta. To study the characteristics and the pattern of this land subsidence, the government has implemented a monitoring system involving the placement of 37 groups of extensometers (layers marks) and drilling of more than 1000 observation wells. These provide an invaluable historical record of deformation and pore water pressure and facilitate studies on the special features of soil deformation when the groundwater level changes due to pumping. Several measures have been taken in recent years to control the development of the land subsidence in the different areas; these include groundwater injection, prohibition of pumping deep confined groundwater, and an adjustment of the pumping depth and magnitude of the groundwater withdrawn. At present, although the subsidence area is still increasing slowly, the subsidence rate is controlled.     

上海市承压含水层系统应力-应变特征及地面沉降防治对策

1990年以来，上海市地下水开采与人工回灌格局发生了较大的变化。承压含水层地下水位变化与压缩变形均表现为新的特点与发展趋势。通过对上海中心城区含水层系统的应力一应变特点分析，总结了承压含水层随地下水位下降所表现出的弹性一弹塑性一塑性变形的演化规律。上海中心城区第Ⅱ、Ⅲ承压含水层总体上处于地下水开采与人工回灌的平衡状态，表现为弹性变形；而第Ⅳ、Ⅴ承压含水层由于地下水位目前已严重低于其“临界水位”，表现为持续压缩的塑性变形。目前，第Ⅳ承压含水层对中心城区地面沉降贡献率已达到了49．3％，西部华漕地区第Ⅴ承压含水层变形的贡献率为46．7％。针对各承压含水层不同的变形特点，提出了地下水资源管理与地面沉降防治对策。     

上海市地下水位大幅抬升条件下土层变形特征分析

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

天津市地下水流-地面沉降耦合模型

天津市平原区地面沉降主要由地下水大量开采引起,影响范围广、危害大,已成为天津市主要的环境地质问题。分析了研究区的水文地质条件,结合地下水开发利用状况,将研究区概化为6个含水层组,地下水流考虑三维非稳定流,地面沉降选用一维固结压缩模型,运用地下水流模型Modflow 2005和地面沉降模拟模块 Sub,建立了天津市平原区地下水流-地面沉降数值耦合模型,模型面积为1.1×10⁴ km²,利用1998-2008年地下水位等值线、过程线、地面沉降过程线等资料对模型进行了识别。模拟期的地下水均衡分析表明,在多年开采条件下,越流补给、压缩释水、侧向边界流入分别占深层含水层补给量的41.84％、32.15％和24.17％。将调试后的模型应用于南水北调实施后地下水控采条件下的地面沉降趋势预测,显示出停采或减少地下水的开采,有利于减缓地面沉降下降速度,且表现出开采层位越往下,地面沉降恢复难度越大的变化趋势。     

The drainage of the aquitard and its implication for groundwater exploitation in Hengshui City

The deformation and the drainage of the aquitard is the main concern in the North China Plain(NCP), and the water released from aquitard compaction may be a large portion of the exploited groundwater. The skeletal specific storage of aquitard is the element parameter to the drainage of aquitard, and the undisturbed core samples are the best choice for the measurement of the physical parameters. In this study, the consolidation test was employed to analyze the skeleton specific storage of the clay sample drilled from Hengshui City, and the contribution from the drainage of aquitard to the groundwater exploitation. The results suggest the consolidation test can be utilized to understand the skeletal specific storage of aquitard, which is about 3.92×10-4 m-1 in the Hengshui. The water-saturation content of the aquitard was less than 100%, and the amount of the drainage of the aquitard was about 69% of the volume of land subsidence. The water released from aquitard compaction was about 35% of the groundwater exploitation to the deep aquifers.     

Sustainable development and utilization of groundwater resources considering land subsidence in Suzhou,China

Suzhou is located at the lower reaches of the Yangtze River in southeastern Jiangsu, China. It is part of the Su-Xi-Chang area including Suzhou, Wuxi and Changzhou. As one of the most developed areas in China, this region has suffered from severe land subsidence caused by extensive groundwater exploitation since 1980s. The land subsidence was controlled by prohibition of groundwater exploration in the past several years. However, the surface water pollution prompted a new task of how to sustainably utilize the groundwater resource, especially to satisfy the emergency demands of water supply. In this paper, we took Suzhou as a representative case to discuss how to develop groundwater resources while controlling the land subsidence. The relationship between the deformation and the groundwater level was analyzed, with focus on the deformation features after the period of groundwater exploitation ban. The results confirmed the conclusion by Shi et al. (2007, 2008a): even in the period of rising groundwater level, same units may manifest different deformation characteristics, such as elasticity, elasto-plasticity, and visco-elasto-plasticity, at different locations of the cone of depression. A land subsidence model that couples a 3-D groundwater model and a 1-D deformation model was developed to simulate the groundwater level and deformation. A high-resolution local grid (child model) for Suzhou was built based on the regional land subsidence model of Su-Xi-Chang area by Wu et al. (2009). The model was used for a number of predictive scenarios up to the year of 2012 to examine how to develop sustainable use of groundwater resources under the conditions of land subsidence control. Our results indicated that about 3.08 × 10⁷ m³/a groundwater could be provided as emergency and standby water source while meeting the land subsidence control target of 10 mm/a.     

黏性土弱透水层压实作用:原理、技术及其水文地质意义

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

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

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

基于DFOS的苏州第四纪沉积层变形及地面沉降监测分析

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

黄河三角洲地下水动态变化及其与地面沉降的关系

为了分析黄河三角洲地下水动态及其与地面沉降的关系, 利用多年地下水和地面沉降监测数据, 发现黄河三角洲广饶县和东营区的地下水动态变化剧烈且地面沉降严重, 含水层多处于超采状态, 浅、深层地下水降落漏斗先后出现.深层地下水降落漏斗中心水位下降速度达2~3m/a.近年来, 东营和广饶地面沉降漏斗中心沉降量和速率分别为155.1mm、28.2mm/a和356.0mm、64.7mm/a.借助GIS技术及数理统计法, 发现深层地下水降落漏斗与沉降漏斗空间耦合良好, 深层地下水位与地面高程呈线性正相关, 相关系数为0.92, 深层地下水过度开采已成为影响沉降的最根本因素.井灌区第三粘性压缩层成为地面沉降主要贡献层, 且深层地下水降落漏斗中心的地下水位已低于第三承压含水层临界水位, 沉降趋于严重.      

深部含水层黏弹塑固结模型及压密模拟

上海市曾遭受了严重的地面沉降灾害,主要由于浅部含水层开采引发浅部土层固结所致。之后采取了回灌浅部含水层并转向开采深部含水层的措施,地面沉降得到了有效控制。但21世纪初,通过水位及分层沉降监测,发现随着开采量增加,深部含水层也会成为主要压密土层。其变形呈现出显著的非线性压密特征,即使水位普遍抬升,压密仍然持续,开展其固结压密机理模型研究对地面沉降防治十分必要。传统太沙基理论认为砂土骨架是瞬时变形的,忽略了流变性本质,因此无法解释该现象。基于国内外学者的研究,考虑了前期固结压力前后流变性的差异,建立了深部含水层黏弹塑固结压密模型。通过试验获取了相关参数,结合塘桥F16分层标监测结果,对第四含水层长期压密变形进行了模拟。模拟结果很好地反映了含水层长期非线性压密行为,研究结果对指导防治地面沉降有实际意义。     

地面沉降对含水层参数及给水能力的影响研究

地面沉降主要由深层地下水开采造成,含水层的压缩释水是深层地下水开采量主要构成来源,同时随其压缩变形孔隙比减小造成储水系数、渗透系数的减小,对弱透水层非弹性释水量、越流补给量造成影响。地面沉降过程中的水文地质参数非线性变化及对承压含水层系统的反馈作用也成为水文地质领域的前沿问题。为对地下水开采量、沉降量、地质参数变化以及给水能力变化之间的关系做一个较为定量定性的探究,以含水层压缩过程中的物理机制为依据,并基于沧州地区深层承压含水层的地下水位变化过程和水文地质参数,采用数学手段构建储水系数和渗透系数变化的一维非线性沉降模型。模拟结果显示随承压水头下降,储水系数最高可减小77%,含水层系统的给水能力和储水能力会随压缩变形减小50%甚至更多。研究成果为深入认识水文地质参数与应力变化相关关系、科学评价承压含水层地下水储水调节能力有重要借鉴意义。     

苏锡常地区地面沉降及其若干问题探讨

地面沉降是苏锡常地区当前面临的最大地质灾害问题。本区的地面沉降具有两个特点:一是在时空上与 地下水开采密切相关;二是其形成主要为含水砂层的压密和顶、底板粘性土层的固结。针对地面沉降的研究多从 其宏观力学特性、水土耦合和建模等方面着手,而对土体在沉降变形过程中的结构变化研究不多,因而对土体在沉 降变形过程中的可逆和不可逆、非线性变形、弱透水层变形等的机理,还存在许多模糊认识。对此文章提出了相关 建议,主要包括:1)应系统地研究苏锡常地区第四纪土体各土层的细观和微观结构,弄清地面沉降区土体结构的演 化规律及其与抽、灌地下水、土体物性指标等之间的关系,建立土体沉降类型与土体结构演化之间的关系;2)应对 第四纪土体中的弱透水层开展系统研究;3)应从土体结构的角度,深入研究土体在排水和回灌过程中的可逆和不 可逆变形。     

上海市第四承压含水层变形特征研究

上海市自1968年调整开采层次以后,第四承压含水层逐渐成为地下水主要开采层次,历史上曾因过度开采利用地下水而成为主要的压缩土层。本文依据上海市长期的地下水位和地面沉降监测资料,总结了第四承压含水层在不同水位变化条件下的变形特征,同时根据压缩试验资料,对第四承压含水层变形机理探讨,为合理开发利用地下水资源提供理论依据。     

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.     

基于多因素叠加计算权重法的苏锡常地裂缝危险性预测

由于长期过量开采地下水,苏州、无锡和常州（苏锡常）的局部地区地裂缝发育,在深层地下水禁采十多年后的今天有些地裂缝还在发展。地裂缝的发育及发展受到诸多因素的影响,其具体力学机制尚不明确。为了查明影响地裂缝发育的因素、确定各因素对地裂缝的影响程度,本文在苏锡常地裂缝发育现状的基础上,利用基于确定性系数计算权重法对苏锡常地裂缝发育危险性进行预测分区。模型考虑了基岩埋深、基岩坡度、累计地面沉降量、沉降坡度、第二含水层厚度、第二含水层厚度变化梯度、第二含水层水位降深、第四纪沉积相等8个主要影响因素,分析结果显示苏锡常地区北部地裂缝易发,东南部发生地裂缝的危险性较小。计算结果与苏锡常地裂缝的分布及发育情况基本一致,验证了该方法在地裂缝预测方面的有效性。本研究对苏锡常地区地下水开采及城市建设规划具有一定的指导意义。     

地下水位变化模式下含水砂层变形特征及上海地面沉降特征分析

土体变形特征与其经历的应力状态有关。由于抽灌水位置和水量的变化,同一土层中不同时期的地下水位可以呈现不同的变化模式,土层表现出不同的变形特征。论文根据上海1400多个水位孔近40a的水位观测资料和各土层的变形资料,从土层变形角度将地下水位的变化方式划分为5种模式。分析了每种地下水位变化模式下土层的变形特征,并进一步分析了上海地面沉降在时间和空间上的特征。分析结果表明:地下水位的变化模式对上海土层的变形有显著影响。同一土层在不同的水位变化模式下可表现为弹性、弹塑性或粘弹塑性的变形特征;地面沉降与地下水开采量、地下水开采层次与主要沉降层具有密切的关系,开采地下水是上海地面沉降的主要原因;与现阶段含水层的水位变化模式相联系,第四承压含水层是上海最近几年来地面沉降的主要沉降层。