Abstract
The North China Plain (NCP) has been suffering from groundwater storage (GWS) depletion and land subsidence for a long period. This paper collects data on GWS changes and land subsidence from in situ groundwater-level measurements, literature, and satellite observations to provide an overview of the evolution of the aquifer system during 1971–2015 with a focus on the sub-regional variations. It is found that the GWS showed a prolonged declining rate of −17.8 ± 0.1 mm/yr during 1971–2015, with a negative correlation to groundwater abstraction before year ~2000 and a positive correlation after ~2000. Statistical correlations between subsidence rate and the GWS anomaly (GWSA), groundwater abstraction, and annual precipitation show that the land subsidence in three sub-regions (Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei) represents different temporal variations due to varying driver factors. Continuous drought caused intensive GWS depletion (−76.1 ± 6.5 mm/yr) and land subsidence in Beijing during 1999–2012. Negative correlations between total groundwater abstraction and land subsidence exhibited after the 1980s indicate that it may be questionable to infer subsidence from regional abstraction data. Instead, the GWSA generally provides a reliable correlation with subsidence. This study highlights the spatio-temporal variabilities of GWS depletion and land subsidence in the NCP under natural and anthropogenic impacts, and the importance of GWS changes for understanding land subsidence development.
Highlights
Groundwater sustains social and environmental development in many arid and semi-arid regions; over-abstraction of groundwater, induced by drought and large water demand for agricultural and domestic use, has become a global issue (Famiglietti 2014; Richey et al 2015)
This study aims to explore the long-term changes (1971– 2015) of groundwater storage (GWS) and land subsidence in the North China Plain (NCP), as well as their relationship using in situ observations and satellite measurements from GRACE and Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) data collected from literature
This paper provides an overview of the long-term evolution of the GWS and land subsidence in the NCP, with a focus on the spatio-temporal variation of the aquifer systems responding to natural and anthropogenic factors
Summary
Groundwater sustains social and environmental development in many arid and semi-arid regions; over-abstraction of groundwater, induced by drought and large water demand for agricultural and domestic use, has become a global issue (Famiglietti 2014; Richey et al 2015). If only focusing on the groundwater depletion rate, the NCP (Fig. 1) does not seem to be the worst among the wellknown aquifers worldwide (Chen et al 2016a; Famiglietti et al 2011; Rodell et al 2009); groundwater overabstraction accompanied by the compression of aquifer. The Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) measured a subsidence rate up to 15 cm/yr in Beijing during 2003–2011 (Chen et al.2016b; Zhang et al 2016). The highly developed megacities (e.g., Beijing) with lots of large constructions, high-speed railways, and dense population, are under the potential risk of land surface subsiding
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
