Ground Subsidence

• It is the loss of surface elevation due to the removal

of subsurface support.
• It can be small and local; or broad and affect a
wider area.
• It occurs in densely-populated, deltaic regions,
causing extremely expensive damage.
• It has natural or anthropogenic causes.
Causes of Ground Subsidence

• natural causes
 tectonic motion
 sea level rise
• man-induced causes such as:
 heavy withdrawal of groundwater (exploitation of aquifers
for water supply)
 heavy withdrawal of geothermal fluids
 extraction of coal, sulfur, gold, and other solids
 underground construction (tunneling)
Example
Below is a composite photo of a sinkhole that abruptly formed in a street
junction in Guatemala on February 23, 2007.

It occurred because of the unstructured city sewerage system that

eroded the uncemented volcanic ash, limestone, and other pyroclastic
deposits underneath.
Sinkhole Formation

• Sinkhole is the type of ground subsidence that occurs because

the rock below was continuously penetrated by circulating
groundwater for a long time.
• Sinkholes form in areas called karst terrains wherein bedrocks
are typically made up rocks that are dissolved by water such as
limestone, dolomite, or gypsum.
o When acidic water penetrates karst terrains, it can lead to the
development of underground river.
o This can lead to underground erosion and formation of
underground caves that may lead to the development of
sinkholes.
• There are different types of sinkholes depending on
how or where they are formed.
o Dissolution: forms from the dissolution of the
limestone or dolomite
o Cover-subsidence: usually forms in areas where the
covering sediments contain sand and are permeable
o Cover-collapse: occur where the covering sediments
contain a significant amount of clay; may develop
over a period of hours
o Human-induced: associated with human activities
like groundwater pumping, construction, and land
development practices
Dissolution
Cover-subsidence
Cover-collapse
Reducing the Occurrence of Ground Subsidence

• Ground subsidence can impact agricultural lands,

industrial processes, and infrastructure.
• Ground subsidence can be reduced if there is planned
urbanization.
• When planning infrastructures, the risk of ground
subsidence should be included as part of the major
considerations.
• Everyone should practice water conservation so as
not to contribute to ground subsidence due to over
draining of underground water sources.
Remember

Heavy withdrawal of groundwater and geothermal fluids,

oil, and gas; other mining activities such as extraction of
coal, sulfur, gold, and other solids; and underground
construction can result to ground subsidence.