Earth Fissure Formation from the Mechanics of Groundwater Pumping
Publication: International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 11, Issue 1
Abstract
This paper presents the formulation of the mechanics governing the changes in stress state from groundwater pumping. A two-layer alluvium consisting of a cemented alluvium layer on top of an unconfined aquifer alluvium layer is considered. It is shown that the stress state in the aquifer alluvium consists of compression, simple shear and couple stresses. The shear stresses on the vertical planes and horizontal planes are not equal. Consequently, a Cosserat rather than the conventionally used Cauchy continuum better simulates the stresses in the aquifer alluvium. Land subsidence from groundwater level decline consists of vertical compression (consolidation), shear displacement and macrorotation. The latter occurs when conditions are favorable for the microrotation imposed by asymmetric stresses to become macrorotation. Earth fissures are formed in aquifer alluvium from groundwater pumping by simple shear on vertical planes and rotation and not by tension as commonly suggested. Earth fissures are formed in the upper cemented alluvium by simple shear strains and rotations. Highly cemented alluviums are more prone to earth fissure formation than weakly cemented alluviums. It is shown that there is a critical characteristic length of times the aquifer alluvium thickness below which earth fissures would, theoretically, not develop. The distances from the well face at which earth fissures will form depend not on the total drop in groundwater level but on the gradient of the groundwater profile. The slope of the subsidence bowl, which consists of simple shear strain and rotation, is established as an indicator for the initiation of earth fissures.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
Bankher, K. A., and Al-Harthi, A. A. (1999). “Earth fissuring and land subsidence in Western Saudi Arabia.” Natural Hazards, 20(1), 21–42.
Bell, J. W. (1981). “Subsidence in Las Vegas Valley, Nevada.” Nevada Bureau of Mines And Geology bulletin No. 95, Univ. of Nev., Nev.
Bell, J. W., Amelung, F., Ramelli, A. R., and Blewitt, G. (2002). “Land subsidence in Las Vegas, Nevada, 1935–2000: New geodetic data show evolution, revised spatial patterns, and reduced rates.” Environ. Eng. Geosci., 8(3), 155–174.
Boling, J. K. (1984). “Earth-fissure movements in south-central, Arizona, U.S.A. Land subsidence.” Proc., 3rd Int. Symp. on Land Subsidence, Taylor and Francis, London, 757–766.
Budhu, M. (2008). “Mechanics of earth fissures using the Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion.” Environ. Eng. Geosci., 14(4), 281–295.
Carpenter, M. C. (1993). “Earth-fissure movements associated with fluctuations in ground-water levels near the Picacho Mountains, south-central Arizona, 1980–84.” U.S. Geological Survey professional paper, USGS, Washington, D.C.
Carpenter, M. C. (1999). “Part I: South-central Arizona. Land subsidence in the United States.” U.S. Geological Survey Circular No. 1182, D. R. Galloway, D. R. Jones, and S. E. Ingebritsen, eds., Reston, Va., 65–78.
Coop, M. R., and Atkinson, J. H. (1993). “The mechanics of cemented carbonate sands.” Geotechnique, 43(1), 53–67.
Cosserat, E., and Cosserat, F. (1909) “Theorie des Corps Deformables.” Herman et fils, Paris.
Davis, S. N. (1978). “Origin of earth fissures (abs.).” GSA Abstracts with Programs, 10(3), 102.
de Josselin de Jong, G. (1972). “Discussion in session II of ‘Roscoe memorial symposium on stress-strain behavior of soils’.” R. G. H. Parry, ed., Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge, U.K., 258–261.
Galloway, D. L., and Hoffmann, J. (2006). “The application of satellite differential SAR interferometry-derived ground displacements in hydrogeology.” Hydrogeol. J., 15, 133–154.
Helm, D. C. (1994). “Hydraulic forces that play a role in generating fissures at depth.” Bull. Int. Assoc. Eng. Geol., 31, 293–304.
Helm, D. C. (2000). “Fissures in Yucca flat dry lake bed, Nevada test site.” Vadose zone, science and technology solutions, B. B. Looney and R. W. Falta, eds., Battelle Press, Columbus, Ohio.
Holzer, T. L. (1984). “Ground failure induced by ground-water withdrawal from unconsolidated sediments.” Man-induced land subsidence, Geological Soc. of America, Boulder, Colo., T. L. Holzer, ed., 67–105.
Holzer, T. L., Davis, S. N., and Lofgren, B. E. (1979). “Faulting caused by groundwater extraction in south-central Arizona.” J. Geophys. Res., 84, 603–612.
Holzer, T. L., and Pampeyan, E. H. (1981). “Earth fissures and localized differential subsidence.” Water Resour. Res., 17(1), 223–227.
Jachens, R. C., and Holzer, T. L. (1982). “Differential compaction mechanism for earth fissures near Casa Grande, Arizona.” Geol. Soc. Am. Bull., 93, 998–1012.
Lee, K. L., and Shen, C. K. (1969). “Horizontal movements related to subsidence.” J. Soil Mech. and Found. Div., 95(1), 139–166.
Lofgren, B. E. (1978). “Hydraulic stresses cause ground movement and fissures. Picacho, Arizona.” Geological Society American Abstracts and Programs, 113.
Massonnet, D., and Feigl, K. L. (1998). “Radar interferometry and its application to changes in the earth’s surface.” Rev. Geophys., 36, 441–500.
National Research Council (NRC). (1991). Panel on land subsidence mitigation losses from land subsidence in the United States, Natural Academy Press, Washington, D.C.
Pewe, T. L., and Larson, M. K. (1982). “Origin of land subsidence and earth fissures in northeast Phoenix, Arizona: Phoenix.” Technical Rep. Prepared for the City of Phoenix Engineer’s Office.
Sandoval, J. P., and Bartlett, S. R. (1991). “Land subsidence and earth fissuring on the Central Arizona project, Arizona.” Proc., 4th Int. Symp. on Land Subsidence, Taylor and Francis, London, 249–260.
Sariosseiri, F., and Muhunthan, B. (2009). “Effect of cement treatment on geotechnical properties of some Washington State soils.” Eng. Geol. (Amsterdam), 104, 119–125.
Sheng, Z. P., Helm, D. C., and Li, J. (2003). “Mechanisms of earth fissuring caused by groundwater withdrawal.” Environ. Eng. Geosci., 9(4), 351–362.
Slaff, S. (1993). “Land subsidence and earth fissures in Arizona.” Arizona Geological Survey down-to-earth series 3, Arizona Geological Survery, Tucson, Ariz.
Wood, D. M., Drescher, A., and Budhu, M. (1979). “Determination of the stress state in the simple shear apparatus.” Geotech. Test. J., 1(4), 211–222.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 11 • Issue 1 • February 2011
Pages: 1 - 11
Copyright
© 2011 ASCE.
History
Received: Oct 1, 2009
Accepted: Feb 13, 2010
Published online: Feb 19, 2010
Published in print: Feb 2011
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.