Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Earth fissures triggered by groundwater withdrawal and coupled by geological structures in Jiangsu Province, China

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Environmental Geology

Abstract

Earth fissures in Jiangsu Province, China have caused serious damages to properties, farmlands, and infrastructures and adversely affected the local or regional economic development. Under the geological and environmental background in Jiangsu Province, this paper presents the earth fissures caused by excessive groundwater withdrawal and coupled by distinctive geological structures such as Ancient Yellow River Fault in Xuzhou karst area, and Ancient Yangtze River Course and bedrock hills in Suzhou, Wuxi, and Changzhou area. Although all the earth fissures are triggered by groundwater exploitation, the characteristics are strongly affected by the specific geological and hydrogeological settings. In particular, in the water-thirsty Xuzhou city, the cone of depression caused by groundwater extraction enlarged nearly 20 times and the piezometric head of groundwater declined 17 m over a decade. As groundwater is extracted from the shallowly buried karst strata in the Ancient Yellow River Fault zone, the development of earth fissures is highly associated with the development of karstic cavities and sinkholes and their distribution is controlled by the Ancient Yellow River Fault with all the 17 sinkholes on the fault. On the other hand, in the rapidly developing Southern Jiangsu Province, groundwater is mainly pumped from the second confined aquifer in the Quaternary, which is distributed neither homogeneously nor isotropically. The second confined aquifer comprises more than 50 m thick sand over the Ancient Yangtze River Course, but this layer may completely miss on the riverbank and bedrock hills. With a typical drawdown rate of 4–6 m per annum, the piezometric head of groundwater in the second confined aquifer has declined 76 m at Maocunyuan since 1970s and 40 m at Changjing since mid-1980s, and a large land subsidence, e.g., 1,100 mm at Maocunyuan, is triggered. Coupled with the dramatic change of the bedrock topography that was revealed through traditional geological drilling and modern seismic reflection methods, the geological-structure-controlled differential settlement and earth fissures are phenomenal in this area.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Asfaw LM (1998) Environmental hazard from fissures in the Main Ethiopian Rift. J Afr Earth Sci 27(3/4):481–490

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ayalew L, Yamagishi H, Reik G (2004) Ground cracks in Ethiopian Rift Valley: facts and uncertainties. Eng Geol 75:309–324

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beckwith GH, Slemmons DB, Weeks RE (1991) Use of low-sun angle photography for identification of subsidence-induced earth fissures. In: Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Land Subsidence, IAHS Press, Houston, Wallingford,

  • Billi A, Valle A, Brilli M, Faccenna C, Funiciello R (2007) Fracture-controlled fluid circulation and dissolutional weathering in sinkhole-prone carbonate rock from central Italy. J Struct Geol 29:385–395

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen CX, Pei SP, Jiao JJ (2003) Land subsidence caused by groundwater exploitation in Suzhou city, China. Hydrogeol J 11:275–287

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Contaldo GJ, Mueller JE (1991) Earth fissures and land subsidence of the Mimbres Basin, Southwestern NM, USA In: Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Land Subsidence, IAHS Press, Houston, Wallingford (12–17 May 1991)

  • Corwin EJ, Alhadeff SC, Oggel SP, Shlemon RJ (1991) Earth fissures, urbanization and litigation: a case study from the Temecula, Southwestern Riverside County, CA. In: Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Land Subsidence, IAHS Press, Houston, Wallingford (12–17 May 1991)

  • Eeckhaut MVD, Poesen J, Dusar M, Martens V, Duchateau P (2007) Sinkhole formation above underground limestone quarries: a case study in South Limburg (Belgium). Geomorphology 91:19–37

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gao Z, Zhu Q, Ji Y, Chen X (1997) The research on the distribution feature, genetic type and countermeasure about ground fissure events. Chin J Seismol 1:1–10

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goodings DJ, Abdulla WA (2002) Stability charts for predicting sinkholes in weakly cemented sand over karst limestone. Eng Geol 65:179–184

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haneberg WC, Reynolds CB, Reynolds IB (1991) Geophysical characterization of soil deformation associated with earth fissures near San Marcial Deming, NM. In: Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Land Subsidence, IAHS Press, Houston, Wallingford (12–17 May 1991)

  • Holzer TL, Pampeyan EH (1981) Earth fissures and localized subsidence. Water Resour Res 17(1):223–227

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hu JP, Wu SL (1998) Geohydrologic environment issues in Suzhou-Changzhou-Wuxi urban group. Chin J Hydrogeol Eng Geol 4:5–7

    Google Scholar 

  • Hyatt JA, Jacobs PM (1996) Distribution and morphology of sinkholes triggered by flooding following Tropical Storm Alberto at Albany, Georgia, USA. Geomorphology 17:305–316

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Keaton JR, Shlemon RJ (1991) Fort Hancock earth fissure system, Hudspeth County, Texas: uncertainties and implications. In: Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Land Subsidence, IAHS Press, Houston, Wallingford

  • Kyriiacou E (1990) Ground cracks in Aradhippouvillage in Cyprus. In: Proceedings of the 6th International Congress International Association of Engineering Geology. A A Balkema, Rotterdam, Amsterdam 6–10 August 1990

  • Lee CF, Zhang JM, Zhang YX (1996) Evolution and origin of the ground fissures in Xian, China. Eng Geol 43:45–55

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li GY, Zhou WF (1999) Sinkholes in karst mining areas in China and some methods of prevention. Eng Geol 52:45–50

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li Y, Yang J, Hu X (2000) Origin of ground fissures in the Shanxi Graben system, Northern China. Eng Geol 55:267–275

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li X, Wang SJ, Liu TY, Ma FS (2004) Engineering geology, ground surface movement and fissures induced by underground mining in the Jinchuan Nickel Mine. Eng geol 76:93–107

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu Y, Chen Z, Zhao Z (1990) Engineering geological characters of Xian ground fissures and the disaster analyses. In: Proceedings of the 6th International Congress International Association of Engineering Geology. A A Balkema, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, 6–10 August 1990

  • Lolcama JL, Cohen HA, Tonkin MJ (2002) Deep karst conduits, flooding, and sinkholes: lessons for aggregates industry. Eng Geol 65:151–157

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Prestininzi A, Romeo R (2000) Earthquake-induced ground failures in Italy. Eng Geol 58:387–397

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Qi S, Wu F, Yan F, Lan H (2004) Mechanism of deep cracks in the left bank slope of Jinping first stage hydropower station. Eng Geol 73:129–144

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rojas E, Arzate J, Arroyo M (2002) A method to predict the group fissuring and faulting caused by regional groundwater decline. Eng Geol 65:245–260

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Salvati R, Sasowsky ID (2002) Development of collapse sinkholes in areas of groundwater discharge. J Hydrol 264:1–11

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sarkar I (2004) The role of the 1999 Chamoli earthquake in the formation of ground cracks. J Asian Earth Sci 22:529–538

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schumann HH, Cripe LS, Laney RL (1986) Land subsidence and earth fissures caused by groundwater depletion in southern AZ, USA. In: Proceedings of the 3rd Internation Symposium on Land Subsidence, IAHS Press, Venice, Wallingford, 19–25 March 1986

  • Wang Z (1998) Sustainable development suffering overexploitation of groundwater—land subsidence and its conflicting in Suzhou-Wuxi-Changzhou area, Jiangsu Province. Chin J Geoll Hazard Control 9(2):18–26

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang GY, You G, Shi B, Xu YL (2008) Investigation on the Nanjing Gypsum Mine Flooding. In: Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Geotechnical Engineering for Disaster Mitigation and Rehabilitation, Nanjing, China, 30 May–2 June 2008

  • Whiteley RJ (2005) Gravity mapping and seismic imaging of large tunnel routes in Sydney Australia. In: Butler DK (ed) Near surface geophysics. Society of Exploration Geophysics, Tulsa, pp 503–512

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Whiteley RJ (2006) Seismic imaging of unstable ground. In: Proceedings of the ASCE 2006, Melbourne, 2–6 July 2006

  • Yu J, Wang XM, Su XS, Yu Q (2004) The mechanism analysis on ground fissure disaster formation in Suzhou–Wuxi–Changzhou area. J Jilin Univ (Earth Sci Edn) 34(2):236–241

    Google Scholar 

  • Yuan H, Yang SH, Andrus RD, Jung CH (2004) Liquefaction-induced ground failure: a study of the Chi–Chi earthquake cases. Eng Geol 71(1–2):141–155

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang Y, Xue YQ, Wu JC, Ye SJ, Wei ZX, Li QF, Yu J (2007a) Characteristics of aquifer system deformation in the Southern Yangtze Delta, China. Eng Geol 90:160–173

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang Y, Xue YQ, Wu JC, Yu J, Wei ZX, Li QF (2007b) Land subsidence and earth fissures due to groundwater withdrawal in the Southern Yangtze Delta, China. Environ Geol. doi:10.1007/s00254-007-1028-8

  • Zhu Q, Gao Z, Guo J (1993) Earth fissures and their genesis analysis in Dongting, Wuxi. Chin J Seismol 3:31–35

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geoscience, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China

    G. Y. Wang & B. Shi

  2. School of Science and Engineering, University of Ballarat, University Drive, Mt Helen, Ballarat, VIC, 3353, Australia

    G. You

  3. Geological Survey of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing, 210018, China

    G. Y. Wang, J. Yu, H. Y. Li & K. H. Zong

Authors
  1. G. Y. Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. G. You
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. B. Shi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. J. Yu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. H. Y. Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. K. H. Zong
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to G. You.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Wang, G.Y., You, G., Shi, B. et al. Earth fissures triggered by groundwater withdrawal and coupled by geological structures in Jiangsu Province, China. Environ Geol 57, 1047–1054 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-008-1390-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-008-1390-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation