Man Induced Land Subsidence

Land subsidence has been caused by man's activities in at least 37 of the 50 states of the United States and affects more than 40,000 square kilometres in this country alone. Data from a few sites where economic impact is documented suggest a total annual cost to the nation of more than $100 million; worldwide, the total economic impact is astounding and growing. These nine papers constitute a major contribution to measuring and understanding this problem and are arranged in 3 categories: fluid withdrawal from porous media; drainage of organic soil; and collapse into man-made and natural cavities.

In geomechanics, existing design methods are very much dependent upon sophisticated on-site techniques to assess ground conditions. This book describes numerical analysis, computer simulation and modelling that can be used to answer some highly complex questions associated with geomechanics. The contributors, who are all international experts in th

Land subsidence (LS) is a gradual settling or sudden sinking of the Earth's surface owing to subsurface movement of earth materials. More than 80% of the identified LS in the nation is due to our exploitation of underground water (UW). This report illustrates the 3 basic mechanisms by which human influence on UW causes land subsidence: compaction of aquifer systems, dewatering of organic soils, and mass wasting through dissolution and collapse of susceptible earth materials. Also examines the role that water-management groups play in mitigating subsidence damages. Color and B&W photos, maps, and drawings.

The Science of Land Subsidence explains the current science underpinning natural and human-made land subsidence events, and provides students and interested readers with sufficient background on the basics of geology, natural science, chemical, and environmental engineering. Moreover, it presents a wide-ranging discussion presented in the author’s comprehensible conversational style describing the impact of land subsidence events on health, sustenance, and society in general, and provides various case studies covering catastrophic land subsidence events. This book is directed at undergraduate and graduate students, professionals, scientists, and the general reading public who would like to gain a broad multidisciplinary view of one of the greatest challenges of our generation. • Describes the impact of land subsidence events on health, sustenance, and society in general. • Provides various case studies covering catastrophic land subsidence events.