scholarly journals Modeling 65 Years of Land Subsidence in California’s San Joaquin Valley

Author(s):  
Matthew Lees ◽  
Rosemary Knight ◽  
Ryan Smith

Abstract [copied directly from first paragraph of paper] Land subsidence, caused by groundwater extraction and subsequent subsurface compaction, is an issue of global concern. Since the 1920s, there have been numerous periods of subsidence in California’s San Joaquin Valley leading to widespread sinking of the land surface which has locally exceeded 9 m. The most recent period of severe subsidence, which was triggered by the 2012-15 drought, is now causing damage which threatens the long-term viability of critical water distribution infrastructure in the Valley. However, there is neither a continuous monitoring record of the subsidence nor high-quality records of the hydrologic head changes in the subsurface which have caused the subsidence, making it impossible to understand, and thus mitigate, the subsidence. Here, we leverage subsidence and hydraulic head data from a variety of sources to create and validate a one-dimensional model of subsurface compaction and subsidence over the 65 years between 1952-2017. This model, which simulated up to 7.5 m of subsidence since 1952, provides a complete record of subsidence in our study region by filling crucial gaps in the observed record. Our model reveals the long-term processes causing subsidence, which operated over decades-to-centuries and caused exceptionally high rates of baseline subsidence in 2017, resulting in a critical risk of future subsidence. This risk is exacerbated as the Valley moves into drought conditions again in Spring 2021. We demonstrated an approach which provided the understanding of subsidence in the Valley needed to directly inform sustainable groundwater management, and which is applicable in subsiding regions around the World.

1998 ◽  
Vol 2 (2/3) ◽  
pp. 159-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Kooi ◽  
J. J. de Vries

Abstract. A one-dimensional model is used to investigate the relationship between land subsidence and compaction of basin sediments in response to sediment loading. Analysis of the model equations and numerical experiments demonstrate quasi-linear systems behaviour and show that rates of land subsidence due to compaction: (i) can attain a significant fraction (>40%) of the long-term sedimentation rate; (ii) are hydrodynamically delayed with respect to sediment loading. The delay is controlled by a compaction response time τc that can reach values of 10-5-107 yr for thick shale sequences. Both the behaviour of single sediment layers and multiple-layer systems are analysed. Subsequently the model is applied to the coastal area of the Netherlands to illustrate that lateral variability in compaction-derived land subsidence in sedimentary basins largely reflects the spatial variability in both sediment loading and compaction response time. Typical rates of compaction-derived subsidence predicted by the model are of the order of 0.1 mm/yr but may reach values in excess of 1 mm/yr under favourable conditions.


2013 ◽  
Vol 26 (10) ◽  
pp. 3067-3086 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonghun Kam ◽  
Justin Sheffield ◽  
Xing Yuan ◽  
Eric F. Wood

Abstract To assess the influence of Atlantic tropical cyclones (TCs) on the eastern U.S. drought regime, the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) land surface hydrologic model was run over the eastern United States forced by the North American Land Data Assimilation System phase 2 (NLDAS-2) analysis with and without TC-related precipitation for the period 1980–2007. A drought was defined in terms of soil moisture as a prolonged period below a percentile threshold. Different duration droughts were analyzed—short term (longer than 30 days) and long term (longer than 90 days)—as well as different drought severities corresponding to the 10th, 15th, and 20th percentiles of soil moisture depth. With TCs, droughts are shorter in duration and of a lesser spatial extent. Tropical cyclones variously impact soil moisture droughts via late drought initiation, weakened drought intensity, and early drought recovery. At regional scales, TCs decreased the average duration of moderately severe short-term and long-term droughts by less than 4 (10% of average drought duration per year) and more than 5 (15%) days yr−1, respectively. Also, they removed at least two short-term and one long-term drought events over 50% of the study region. Despite the damage inflicted directly by TCs, they play a crucial role in the alleviation and removal of drought for some years and seasons, with important implications for water resources and agriculture.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiangbo Yu ◽  
Guoquan Wang ◽  
Timothy J. Kearns ◽  
Linqiang Yang

Long-term continuous groundwater level and land subsidence monitoring in the Houston-Galveston area indicates that, during the past two decades (1993–2012), the groundwater head has been increasing and the overall land subsidence rate has been decreasing. Assuming that the hydraulic head in the aquifer will reach or exceed the preconsolidation level in the near future, will subsidence in the Houston-Galveston area eventually cease? The key to answer this question is to identify if there is deep-seated subsidence in this area. This study investigated the recent subsidence observed at different depths in the Houston-Galveston area. The subsidence was recorded by using 13 borehole extensometers and 76 GPS antennas. Four of the GPS antennas are mounted on the deep-anchored inner pipes of borehole extensometers. We conclude that recent subsidence (1993–2012) in the Houston-Galveston area was dominated by the compaction of sediments within 600 m below the land surface. Depending on the location of specific sites, the compaction occurred within the Chicot aquifer and part or all of the Evangeline aquifer. No measurable compaction was observed within the Jasper aquifer or within deeper strata. Deep-seated subsidence is not likely occurring in the Houston-Galveston area.


Author(s):  
M. Sneed ◽  
J. T. Brandt

Abstract. Rapid land subsidence was recently measured using multiple methods in two areas of the San Joaquin Valley (SJV): between Merced and Fresno (El Nido), and between Fresno and Bakersfield (Pixley). Recent land-use changes and diminished surface-water availability have led to increased groundwater pumping, groundwater-level declines, and land subsidence. Differential land subsidence has reduced the flow capacity of water-conveyance systems in these areas, exacerbating flood hazards and affecting the delivery of irrigation water. Vertical land-surface changes during 2007–2014 were determined by using Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR), Continuous Global Positioning System (CGPS), and extensometer data. Results of the InSAR analysis indicate that about 7600 km2 subsided 50–540 mm during 2008–2010; CGPS and extensometer data indicate that these rates continued or accelerated through December 2014. The maximum InSAR-measured rate of 270 mm yr−1 occurred in the El Nido area, and is among the largest rates ever measured in the SJV. In the Pixley area, the maximum InSAR-measured rate during 2008–2010 was 90 mm yr−1. Groundwater was an important part of the water supply in both areas, and pumping increased when land use changed or when surface water was less available. This increased pumping caused groundwater-level declines to near or below historical lows during the drought periods 2007–2009 and 2012–present. Long-term groundwater-level and land-subsidence monitoring in the SJV is critical for understanding the interconnection of land use, groundwater levels, and subsidence, and evaluating management strategies that help mitigate subsidence hazards to infrastructure while optimizing water supplies.


2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (8) ◽  
pp. 1851-1866 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yun Zhang ◽  
Jichun Wu ◽  
Yuqun Xue ◽  
Zhecheng Wang ◽  
Yiguang Yao ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin Mao ◽  
Jun Kang Chow ◽  
Pin Siang Tan ◽  
Kuan-fu Liu ◽  
Jimmy Wu ◽  
...  

AbstractAutomatic bird detection in ornithological analyses is limited by the accuracy of existing models, due to the lack of training data and the difficulties in extracting the fine-grained features required to distinguish bird species. Here we apply the domain randomization strategy to enhance the accuracy of the deep learning models in bird detection. Trained with virtual birds of sufficient variations in different environments, the model tends to focus on the fine-grained features of birds and achieves higher accuracies. Based on the 100 terabytes of 2-month continuous monitoring data of egrets, our results cover the findings using conventional manual observations, e.g., vertical stratification of egrets according to body size, and also open up opportunities of long-term bird surveys requiring intensive monitoring that is impractical using conventional methods, e.g., the weather influences on egrets, and the relationship of the migration schedules between the great egrets and little egrets.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
CAN ZHOU ◽  
NIGEL BROTHERS

Summary The incidental mortality of seabirds in fisheries remains a serious global concern. Obtaining unbiased and accurate estimates of bycatch rates is a priority for seabird bycatch mitigation and demographic research. For measuring the capture risk of seabird interactions in fisheries, the rate of carcass retrieval from hauled gear is commonly used. However, reliability can be limited by a lack of direct capture observations and the substantial pre-haul bycatch losses known to occur, meaning incidence of seabird bycatch is underestimated. To solve this problem, a new measure (bycatch vulnerability) that links an observed interaction directly to the underlying capture event is proposed to represent the capture risk of fishery interactions by seabirds. The new measure is not affected by subsequent bycatch loss. To illustrate how to estimate and analyse bycatch vulnerability, a case study based on a long-term dataset of seabird interactions and capture confirmation is provided. Bayesian modelling and hypothesis testing were conducted to identify important bycatch risk factors. Competition was found to play a central role in determining seabird bycatch vulnerability. More competitive environments were riskier for seabirds, and larger and thus more competitive species were more at risk than smaller sized and less competitive species. Species foraging behaviour also played a role. On the other hand, no additional effect of physical oceanic condition and spatio-temporal factors on bycatch vulnerability was detected. Bycatch vulnerability is recommended as a replacement for the commonly used bycatch rate or carcass retrieval rate to measure the capture risk of an interaction. Combined with a normalized contact rate, bycatch vulnerability offers an unbiased estimate of seabird bycatch rate in pelagic longline fisheries.


2021 ◽  
pp. jnnp-2021-326043
Author(s):  
Alis Heshmatollah ◽  
Lisanne J. Dommershuijsen ◽  
Lana Fani ◽  
Peter J. Koudstaal ◽  
M. Arfan Ikram ◽  
...  

ObjectiveAlthough knowledge on poststroke cognitive and functional decline is increasing, little is known about the possible decline of these functions before stroke. We determined the long-term trajectories of cognition and daily functioning before and after stroke.MethodsBetween 1990 and 2016, we repeatedly assessed cognition (Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), 15-Word Learning, Letter–Digit Substitution, Stroop, Verbal Fluency, Purdue Pegboard) and basic and instrumental activities of daily living (BADL and IADL) in 14 712 participants within the population-based Rotterdam Study. Incident stroke was assessed through continuous monitoring of medical records until 2018. We matched participants with incident stroke to stroke-free participants (1:3) based on sex and birth year. Trajectories of cognition and daily functioning of patients who had a stroke 10 years before and 10 years after stroke and the corresponding trajectories of stroke-free individuals were constructed using adjusted linear mixed effects models.ResultsDuring a mean follow-up of 12.5±6.8 years, a total of 1662 participants suffered a first-ever stroke. Patients who had a stroke deviated from stroke-free controls up to 10 years before stroke diagnosis in cognition and daily functioning. Significant deviations before stroke were seen in scores of MMSE (6.4 years), Stroop (5.7 years), Purdue Pegboard (3.8 years) and BADL and IADL (2.2 and 3.0 years, respectively).ConclusionPatients who had a stroke have steeper declines in cognition and daily functioning up to 10 years before their first-ever stroke compared with stroke-free individuals. Our findings suggest that accumulating intracerebral pathology already has a clinical impact before stroke.


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