Subsidence rates and urban damages in alluvial dolines of the Central Ebro basin (NE Spain)

In the central Ebro basin, alluvial dolines develop on Quaternary materials overlying Neogene evaporites. This process is very active. Analysing aerial photographs of different years important differences can be observed. Since the 1970s, when the urbanisation of the area took place, karst processes have damaged many buildings and infrastructures. From the dates of construction and the repair of a number of buildings and pavements we calculate subsidence rates (12-120 mm/year). Moreover, we decided to monitor, for around 4 years, three dolines developed on urban areas to determine their subsidence behaviour. A water level device (with an error of 2-3 mm) was utilised for this purpose. The subsidence rates, so obtained, are 64.5, 39 and 21 mm/year, which fit with the previous data from repaired zones.