Self-weight consolidation and compaction of sediment in the Yellow River Delta,China

Extensive studies of land subsidence in the Yellow River Delta (YRD) have identified sediment consolidation and compaction as important contributors to geologic processes. Although previous studies were informed by detailed knowledge of subsurface getechnical properties and depositional history, geotechnical data that are sufficient for detailed modeling are still unavailable for much of the delta. To overcome this limitation, we use a modified Monte Carlo method to model the incremental sedimentation and compaction in the delta and identify the stratigraphic characteristics of all abandoned lobes in the delta on a short-term scale of decades. A Digital Elevation Model (DEM) of the thickness of the delta plain is generated based on a contour map of the delta using Geographic Information Systems technology. Combining our simulation results and the DEM creates an overall view of the delta’s temporal and spatial land subsidence characteristics. Most data from the 152 boreholes show properties of soft soil, which is saturated and compressible. Our data confirm that the most rapidly compacting strata contain 100% soft soil. Research on settlement from soft soil compaction is particularly important because of the widespread distribution of soft soil in the YRD.