Land subsidence and sea level rise on the Atlantic Coastal Plain of the United States

Journal Article · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1987 · Environmental Geology and Water Sciences; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02574663· OSTI ID:5946008

Davis, G H

Land subsidence due to decline in head in confined aquifers, related to municipal and industrial water pumpage, is widespread in the Atlantic Coastal Plain. Although not a major engineering problem, subsidence greatly complicates adjustment of precise leveling and distorts prediction of future sea-level rise. When preconsolidation stress equivalent to about 20 m of head decline is exceeded compaction of fine-grained sediments of the aquifer system begins, and continuous until a new head equilibrium is attained between fine and coarse units. The ratio subsidence/head decline is quite consistent, ranging form 0.0064 in southeastern Virginia to 0.0018 at Dover, Delaware and Atlantic City, New Jersey. Higher values are related to the occurrence of montmorillonite as the predominant clay mineral present. Review of tide gauge records indicates that gauges not affected by land subsidence or other local secular effects have been sinking relative to sea level since 1940 at rates averaging about 2.5 mm/yr. of which 0.6 mm/yr is ascribed to glacio-isostatic adjustment to unloading of North America resulting from melting of late Pleistocene glaciers, and about 0.9 mm/yr is ascribed to steric sea-level rise related to ocean warming. The residual 1 mm/yr of relative sea-level rise is not well understood, but may be related to regional tectonic subsidence of the Atlantic coast.

• OSTI ID: 5946008
• Journal Information: Environmental Geology and Water Sciences; (United States), Journal Name: Environmental Geology and Water Sciences; (United States) Vol. 10:2; ISSN 0177-5146; ISSN EGWSE
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540250* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (1990-)
540350 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (1990-)
AQUIFERS
CALCULATION METHODS
COASTAL REGIONS
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
DRAWDOWN
GROUND SUBSIDENCE
GROUND WATER
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
LEVELS
NORTH AMERICA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PUMPING
SEA LEVEL
US EAST COAST
USA
VARIATIONS
WATER