Short summary

Two additional alternative mechanistic models are proposed that involve principles of load transfer considering the temporally and spatially redistributed stresses associated with groundwater extraction: i) Cosserat continuum mechanism, considering shear force in the aquifer due to hydraulic gradients in the aquifer; and ii) internal erosion of fine-grained (clay and silt) particles within the aquifer. Initial results based on simulations incorporating Cosserat mechanics look promising.

Hide

Short summary

Multi-layer aquifer systems with deep confined aquifers and thick compressible clay layers are the key geological conditions responsible for the development of land subsidence in the North China Plain. Several groundwater regulation scenarios were designed and simulated with a groundwater model, and assessed using a multi-criteria fuzzy pattern recognition model. This approach is proven to be very useful for scientific analysis of sustainable development and utilization of groundwater resources.

Hide

Short summary

We use InSAR time series to infer the temporal evolution of the piezometric level in 19 wells of the Tertiary detritic aquifer of Madrid (TDAM) in the period 1997-2010. Our results suggest that an average elastic storage coefficient Ske of all wells can be used to estimate piezometric level variations in all the points where ground deformation has been measured by InSAR, thus allowing production of piezometric level maps for the different extraction/recovery cycles in the TDAM.

Hide

Short summary

Land subsidence occurs due to different factors such as earth quakes, mining activities, and gas, oil and water withdrawal. This research presents a numerical study of the influence of land subsidence caused by a single water extraction well and rapid water infiltration into structural soil discontinuities. The numerical simulation of the infiltration was based on a two-phase flow-model for porous media, and for the deformation a Mohr-Coulomb model was used.

Hide

Short summary

In this paper, updated information about regional subsidence in Mexico City downtown area is presented. Historical data are compared with information obtained recently from surveys using a set of reference points (2008) and on the elevation of a cloud of points on the ground surface determined using Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology. In addition, this paper provides an overview of recent data on understanding soil fracturing associated with regional land subsidence.

Hide

Short summary

Multi-sensor advanced DInSAR analyses have been performed, in order to evaluate the land subsidence evolution in a 20-year period, in the Alto Guadalentín Basin where the highest rate of man-induced subsidence (>10 cm/yr-) of Europe had been detected. The control mechanisms have been examined comparing the advanced DInSAR data with conditioning and triggering factors (i.e. isobaths of Plio-Quaternary deposits, soft soil thickness and piezometric level).

Hide

Short summary

Groundwater extends to the base of the Kanto Plain, some 3,000 m below sea level. Much of the Kanto Plain surface is at sea level. By the early 1970’s, local overdraft of groundwater resources caused major ground subsidence. The lowlands around Tokyo subsided to 4.0 m below sea level. Local government led to installation of about 500 monitoring wells and about 5000 bench marks by the 1990’s. Many of them are still working with new monitoring system. Long-term monitoring is important.

Hide

Short summary

The authors have developed Percolation Theory-based methodologies to estimate alluvium modulus as a function of lithology, depth, groundwater level and effective stress. Applied at aquifer stress points, such as major pumping wells, this facilitates subsidence modeling at its’ sources. Modeled subsidence is then propagated over time across the basin from the source(s) using a time delay exponential decay function similar to the soil mechanics consolidation coefficient, only applied laterally.

Hide

Short summary

The stress variation induced by overdraft of aquifers in sedimentary basins may cause ground rupture in the form of activation of pre-existing faults or earth fissure generation. The process is severely threatening many areas in China and Mexico. Ruptures yield discontinuity in the displacement and stress fields that classic finite element (FE) models cannot address. We proved how Lagrangian approach provides more stable solutions than Penalty approach.

Hide

Short summary

Paper discuses numerical modeling of earth fissure caused by land subsidence due to groundwater withdrawal. The numerical models predict future subsidence and earth fissure potential for flood control structures in the metro Phoenix area. A finite element model was developed to estimate vertical subsidence and horizontal strain on the ground surface due to the pumping of ground water.

Hide

Short summary

Land subsidence rates of ~1-4 cm yr-1 are measured in the low-lying Vietnamese Mekong Delta. These relatively high subsidence rates are attributed to groundwater extraction, which has increased drastically over the past decades. There is an urgent need to go from measurements to predictions to test future groundwater management scenarios and reduce subsidence. In this study, we present an approach to build a 3D geo-hydrological model to determine the subsidence potential of the Mekong Delta.

Hide

Short summary

Precise leveling and InSAR are the useful geodesic techniques for monitoring the regional land subsidence caused by unlimited groundwater pumping. The main aim of this paper is to integrate the accuracy of precise leveling and the spatial resolution of InSAR with cokriging method for estimating the surface deformation. The results indicate this method is reliable for detecting the land subsidence and the characteristics of different aquifers influence land subsidence.

Hide

Short summary

Land subsidence is a global problem, but a global land subsidence map is not available yet. Such map is crucial to raise global awareness of land subsidence, as land subsidence causes extensive damage (probably in the order of billions of dollars annually). With the global land subsidence map relative sea level rise predictions may be improved, contributing to global flood risk calculations.

Hide

Short summary

This research contributes to the understanding of surface deformation in the study area with new knowledge of the upper soil sequence. An established sequence distribution of the shallow layers was set and some of their geotechnical properties were determined. The analized samples are composed by compressible clayey silt and several lenses of volcanic sandy ash. Heterogeneities may be contributing to differential subsidence which is controlling the occurrence of surface faulting.

Hide

Short summary

The present research is aimed at a critical analysis of a method presently used for evaluating failure hazard in linear objects in mining areas. A fuzzy model of failure hazard of a linear object was created on the basis of the experience gathered so far. The rules of Mamdani fuzzy model have been used in the analyses. Finally the scaled model was integrated with a Geographic Information System (GIS), which was used to evaluate failure hazard in a water pipeline in a mining area.

Hide

Short summary

Several places in Jakarta are subsiding at different rates. The results obtained from leveling surveys, GPS surveys and InSAR technique over the period between 1974 and 2010 show that land subsidence in Jakarta has spatial and temporal variations with typical rates of about 3 to 10 cm/year. Rapid urban development, relatively young alluvium soil, and relatively weak mitigation and adapatation initiatives, are risk increasing factors of land subsidence in Jakarta.

Hide

Short summary

In this work we present the application of InSAR analysis and gravimetric surveying to generate valuable information for risk management related to land subsidence and surface faulting. Subsidence of the city of Aguascalientes, México is presented as study case. Our work based on gravimetric and InSAR surveys is aimed for improving the subsidence hazard zoning proposed in the State Urban Code in a more comprehensive way.

Hide

Short summary

Gas production from the Groningen field in the Netherlands is resulting in increasing amounts of surface subsidence and induced seismicity. Accurate prediction of the future development of both is important but difficult as proven by the historical track record. The paper describes the development of subsidence and seismicity over time and the history of their predictions. A number of important learnings are extracted.

Hide

Short summary

This work presents the experimental and numerical results about a study regarding the performance of a full-scale thin-walled cold-formed steel building affected by ground differential settlements.

Hide

Short summary

Sinkholes in any areas may result deadly or costly. A sinkhole happen to be in a highly trafficked area in Quito, Ecuador. Besides the problems and additional costs of repair, we have found out during our study, that the costs of the people who had to pass this area had to pay much more than the "simple" reconstruction costs. A critical look on historic sinkholes in the central part of the city of Quito, allowed us to identify even huger problems to come in important areas of Quito.

Hide

Short summary

The NISOLS conference is held in Nagoya, central Japan. The city of Nagoya occupies the southeastern part of the Nohbi Plain. In relation to the land subsidence, subsurface geology and aquifer system of the Nohbi Plain is introduced and described in this paper.

Hide

Short summary

The potential for subsidence of Holocene deltas due to peat compaction is mainly determined by the 3D distribution of different lithologies, and associated geotechnical properties, in the subsurface. Our study shows that sequences containing thick high-organic peat layers with no or a thin clastic overburden have the highest potential for high amounts of subsidence due to compaction. In addition, peat layers above groundwater level have high potential for subsidence due oxidation and compaction.

Hide

Short summary

Deltas are increasingly under pressure from human impact and climate change. Ensuring future delta life requires sustainable management of deltas. Future Deltas is an interdisciplinary research program of Utrecht University, The Netherlands, with an international focus. It aims to understand drivers of change in deltas, predict impacts and optimize solutions and importantly contributes to the development of integrated sustainable and resilient delta management strategies.

Hide

Short summary

The Southern part of the Flevopolder has shown considerable subsidence since its reclamation in 1967. We have set up an integrated method to use subsidence data, water level data and forward models for compaction, oxidation and the resulting subsidence to estimate the driving parameters. We used two forward models: the Koppejan model and the Bjerrum model. In first instance, the Bjerrum model seems to perform better than the Koppejan model.

Hide

Short summary

In many coastal and delta cities land subsidence now exceeds absolute sea level rise up to a factor of ten. The total worldwide damage of resulting increased floodrisk and structural damage to structures is estimated at billions of dollars annually. In this study a quick-assessment of subsidence is performed on mega-cities. Results of these case studies are presented and compared, and a (generic) approach how to deal with subsidence in current and future subsidence-prone areas is provided.

Hide

Short summary

Eighty regular TerraSAR-X acquisitions over the 2008-2011 period significantly improve the subsidence monitoring at the Venice coastland. Settlements of 30-35 mm/yr have been detected at the three lagoon inlets in correspondence of the MoSE works. The Venice and Chioggia historical centers show local sinking bowls up to 10 mm/yr connected with the construction of new large buildings or restoration works. In the city of Venice, the mean subsidence of 1.1±1.0 mm/yr confirms its general stability.

Hide

Short summary

Geological disaster by liquefaction-fluidization happened on southern part of the Quaternary Paleo-Kanto submarine basin at the 2011 Earthquake off the Pacific Coast of Tohoku. Liquefaction-fluidization phenomena occurred mainly in man-made strata over shaking 5+ intensity of Japan Meteorological Agency scale. The shaking 5+ intensity correlate with about 8 intensity of MSK scale.

Hide

Short summary

The earth fissures of geological structure are visualized in three dimensional domains through a volumetric modeling method. The topological relations between TIN, triangular prism and lines are constructed for further spatial calculation. This method can facilitate the mechanism for studying fissures.

Hide

Short summary

The results indicated that The surface location of Gaoliying fissure is controlled by the underlying normal fault activity, and over pumping further exacerbates development of the ground fissure; when the groundwater level declines, obvious differential settlement occurs at both sides of the ground fissure. The fault activity contributes about 28-39 percent, and the groundwater contributes about 61-72 percent to the deformation of the ground fissure, respectively.

Hide

Short summary

This paper provides a discussion related to the origin of surface failures in the graben of Aguascalientes. Observations indicate that some of these failures are older than the beginning of pumping, suggesting a natural tectonic origin. Some questions regarding surface failures are formulated, for instance, are the surface failures caused by the combined stresses of pumping and tectonism? Is the current tectonism sufficient to cause some surface or deep failures?

Hide

Short summary

In this work we use data from levelling, DInSAR, and geotechnical instruments records to compare the subsidence caused by anthropogenic activity and/or seismicity with slip recorded by geotechnical instruments, in an attempt to obtain more information about the process of fault slip associated with subsidence.

Hide

Short summary

Ground subsidence has affected Mexico City for over a century, as a result of its large urban expansion and aggressive groundwater extraction rates. The continuous subsidence results in severe damage to urban infrastructure and civil structures. This work is aimed towards a better recognition of subsidence as a major hazard in Mexico, assess the number of inhabitants affected and the spatial extent of the subsiding areas affected by this process.

Hide

Short summary

In the eastern sector of Mexico City the sub soil consists of high contrasting sequences (lacustrine and volcanic inter bedded deposits) that favor the development of erratic fracturing in the surface. The results of applying the GPR, MASW and SR methods simultaneously show the persistence of the clayey lacustrine material with variable thickness encased by volcanic materials. The contrasting mechanical properties between the two types of material may cause slippage over lithological contacts.

Hide

Short summary

An analysis of the deformation conditions of lacustrine materials deposited in the volcanic valley of the Mexico City is presented. Currently geotechnical studies assume that compressibility of granular materials decreases in depth due to the lithostatic load. Our results show that Cc for fine grain materials (lacustrine) can be vertically variable, particularly when soils and sediments are the product of different volcanic materials. These variations need to be considered when modelling LS.

Hide

Short summary

We present a series of physical experiments that examine with detail the evolution of subsidence in a volcanic maar crater, located in central Mexico. The crater is thought to be connected to the adjacent aquifer, which has been extensively exploited during the last 35 years. Subsidence in the sediments filling the crater show deformation manifested as ring faults and fractures. The results may be relevant to understand the evolution of subsidence in similar volcanic settings elsewhere.

Hide

Short summary

Instruments buried across an earth-fissure zone in Chino, California since 2011 show opening during pumping and closing during recovery of about 30% of the lowest estimate of the threshold for major fissure opening. Continuous measurements of horizontal strain, water-level fluctuations, and subsidence can provide a real-time management tool to restrict pumping if strain approaches the lower limit of strain-at-failure or a stress-strain curve deviates from the previous mostly elastic regimen.

Hide

Short summary

The Houston metropolitan area represents one of the largest subsidence areas in the USA. The groundwater regulations enforced by the Harris-Galveston Subsidence District have successfully halted subsidence in areas that were once heavily subsiding. It is evident that groundwater resources and subsidence are manageable. This study demonstrated an approach of using publicly available GPS data to conduct millimeter-accuracy land subsidence studies in an urban environment.

Hide

Short summary

large coverage land subsidence in Fenwei basin, China is monitored. Small scale ground fissures deformation is monitored. Two dimensional ground fissures deformation is achieved. PS-InSAR, SBAS-InSAR and 2D deformation inversion methods are employed.

Hide

Short summary

Persistent Scatterer Interferometry (PSI) is a remote sensing technique used to monitor land deformation from interferometric SAR images. The main products that can be derived using the PSI technique are the deformation maps and the time series of deformation. In this paper, an approach to apply the PSI technique to a stack of Sentinel-1 images is described. Sentinel-1 deformation maps and time series obtained over the metropolitan area of Mexico DF are discussed.

Hide

Short summary

Satellite interferometric synthetic aperture radar data have proven effective and valuable in the analysis of urban subsidence phenomena based on multi-temporal radar images. This technology can be considered operational thanks to a regular acquisition plan and the access to significant processing power for a regular update of the information over large areas.

Hide

Short summary

A methodology based on Persistent Scatterer Interferometry (PSI) is proposed in order to disentangle the contribution of different processes that act at different spatio-temporal scales in land subsidence (i.e. vadose zone processes as swelling/shrinkage of clay soils, soil consolidation and fluid extraction). The methodology was applied in different Italian geological contexts characterized by natural and anthropic processes (i.e. a Prealpine valley and the Po Plain in northern Italy).

Hide

Short summary

Monitoring systems capable of quantifying rates and distribution of land subsidence and detection of ground rupture for many types of infrastructure including dams, levees, channels, basins, roadways, and mining facilities are discussed. Methods implemented include optical leveling and GPS surveys, ground reconnaissance, photo-geological analysis, groundwater monitoring, tape-extensometers, InSAR, borehole tiltmeters, microseismic arrays, excavation of monitoring trenches, and TDR.

Hide

Short summary

The Groningen gas field in the Netherlands is Europe’s largest gas field. It has been produced since 1963 and production is expected to continue until 2080. Subsidence occurring due to the pressure depletion is measured annually. In this study different compaction models are tested using the subsidence measurements. The pattern of over- and underestimation of the subsidence can be explained by variations in reservoir parameters.

Hide

Short summary

Hydrocarbon extraction lead to compaction of the gas reservoir which is visible as subsidence on the surface. We have used surface height difference measurements to quantify compaction of the Groningen gas reservoir in the Netherlands. This procedure yielded areas of increased and decreased levels of compaction compared to the existing compaction model in agreement with observed discrepancies in porosity and aquifer activity.

Hide

Short summary

ENI monitoring plan to measure and monitor the subsidence process, during field production and also after the field closure, is intended to support a sustainable field development and an acceptable exploitation programme in which the actual risk connected with the field production is evaluated in advance, shared and agreed among all the involved subjects: oil company, stakeholders and local community (with interests in the affected area) .

Hide

Short summary

During 1992-2013, pumping of groundwater caused large-scale aquifer-system compaction and land subsidence in the Choshui River Alluvial Fan (CRAF) in Taiwan. The subsidence has already endangered the operation of Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR). In this paper, we introduce the multiple sensors monitoring system to study the extent of subsidence in CRAF and its mechanism, including GPS (Global Positioning System), PSI (Persistent Scatterer Interferometry), leveling and multi-layer compaction monito

Hide

Short summary

These exists a new phenomenon with continuous deformation in the sandy aquifers in Shanghai. Sharp hydraulic gradient would be formed in the aquifer and shear stresses would develop. Cumulated shear stress is one of the main factors that contribute to deformation within an aquifer. Cosserat continuum mechanics can be applied to analyse the mechanism of confined aquifer deformation controlled by accumulated shear stress.

Hide

Short summary

It was indicated that the increasing rate of mining subsidence in the western side of the study area was as bigger as in the eastern side between 1999 and 2009. The spatiotemporal variations rules of songzao coal mining subsidence based on numerical simulation could provide reference for the subsequent subsidence prevention and land consolidation.

Hide

Short summary

Land subsidence due to long-term pumping in Las Vegas Valley has been a problem for more than 40 years. A new groundwater flow and deformation model was built to accompany new radar and water-level data. Results show that although rising water levels have resulted in uplift in some areas, the Northwest region will continue to subside for the foreseeable future in spite of these mitigation measures.

Hide

Short summary

The implementation of FEM models permits to effectively analyse the cause-effect mechanism of a phenomenon.In the present work, in spite of the limited geotechnical and hydrogeological data available, the model has allowed to qualitatively and "quantitatively" reproduce the subsidence that affects Murcia city. The achieved results have been compared with the displacements estimated through A-DInSAR techniques and measured by the extensometers.This allows a better management of the exploitations.

Hide

Short summary

3D movement of an aquifer system with stress-dependent storage in response to one or more pumping wells is simulated using a new package for MODFLOW, NDIS. Results indicate horizontal movement is consistent with the analytic solution, and vertical movement is smaller and more sensitive to pumping rates and time than that simulated by MODFLOW-SUB. The simulation shows that if the total pumpage is the same, pumping from a single well may induce more land subsidence than pumping from multiple well.

Hide

Short summary

The effects of feedback onto the land surface and aquifers from mesh deformation with MF-OWHM flow terms were found to be significant when compared to simulations without the subsidence linkage. This linkage is needed for evaluating conjunctive use where the vertical displacements or differential displacements may affect the sources of water, the fractions of multiple sources of water, their use and movement across the landscape, performance of conveyance in canals and rivers, and aquifer flows.

Hide

Short summary

Petro-physical and geomechanical properties undergo a drastic change due to heat generated during underground coal gasification. The thermal anisotropy of the minerals result in the generation of thermal stresses which result in fracturing of the rock. The new fractures lead to the failure of overhead strata thereby causing subsidence. This paper aims to predict the thermo-geomechanical response of the strata during UCG using COMSOL Multiphysics.

Hide

Short summary

A fusion technique is developed to combine the subsidence predicted results from poroelastic and grey models to obtain a spatially and temporally connected two-dimensional subsidence distribution. The fusion model is successfully applied to subsidence predictions in Changhua, Yunlin, Tainan, and Kaohsiung of Taiwan and obtains good results. A good subsidence model can help the government to make the accurate strategies for land and groundwater resource management.

Hide

Short summary

In many delta cities land subsidence exceeds absolute sea level rise up to a factor of ten by excessive groundwater extraction related to rapid urbanization and population growth. An Integrated Assessment Framework (IAF) for subsidence is introduced, illustrated by several (delta) case studies. Based on that a list of 10 generic key issues and possible solutions is presented in order to further develop and support a (generic) approach how to deal with subsidence in subsidence-prone areas.

Hide

Short summary

In this work we present a brief description of land subsidence in coastal cities, such as Nantong, Yancheng, and Lian Yungang, in Jiangsu Province. We examine the mechanisms of land subsidence induced mainly by groundwater pumping and its evolution and economic implications as well as the implemented measures by the local government to prevent new damage.

Hide

Short summary

Subsidence has been a primary concern in the Houston area for many years. Since 1906, over 10 feet of subsidence has occurred, with a broad area of 6 feet of subsidence existing today throughout most of the Houston Area. The Harris-Galveston Subsidence District has regulated the use of groundwater to mitigate the subsidence threat for 40 years with excellent success. Overall subsidence rates have slowed in the coastal areas as water sources have shifted away from groundwater.

Hide

Short summary

The Emilia earthquake of 2012 (Italy) stimulated a controversial debate concerning the possibility that the event could have been induced or triggered by underground fluids production. The public discussion led the Italian Government to issue a set of guidelines for microseismic, ground deformation and reservoir pressure monitoring. The implementation of a communication program to local residents, scientific community and administrative authorities is also prescribed.

Hide