Land Subsidence Introduction Of all water that reaches the surface of the earth from all types of precipitation, some runs off as stream flow, some is evaporated from land and water surfaces, and some is transpired by vegetation. It is the purpose of this exercise to consider some aspects of what happens to the rest of the water - that which enters the ground. The water may remain in the ground from a period of days to thousands of years. Because of increased demand on groundwater supplies, many places in the world today are experiencing groundwater related problems. What is Groundwater? Some precipitation infiltrates the ground and percolates downward through voids (pores, fractures, crevices, and other spaces) in the soil and rock. The water in these voids is called groundwater. Porous, water-saturated layers of sand, gravel or bedrock through which usable groundwater flows are called aquifers. Any area of land through which water passes downward or laterally into an aquifer is called a recharge zone. Some materials are very impermeable to water infiltration, such as clay, shale or dense igneous bedrock, and are called aquicludes. (See figure 1) Figure 1 Aquiclude Aquiclude There are two types of aquifers: confined and unconfined. An unconfined aquifer forms when groundwater collects above a layer of relatively impermeable rock or compacted clay, and the top of the water represents the water table. A confined or artesian aquifer forms when groundwater is sandwiched between two aquicludes. This type of aquifer is completely saturated with water under great pressure and when a well is drilled into the confined aquifer, sometimes water is able to rise to the surface without pumping. This type of well is called a flowing artesian well system. It is the confined aquifer that is associated with land subsidence. Land Subsidence Mexico City, Tokyo, Houston, Las Vegas, several areas of Arizona and California are experiencing serious problem as a result of land subsidence. Land subsidence or sinking of the land surface can be due to the removal of underground water (groundwater mining). When many wells are drilled into the aquifer, pumping removes water from the aquifer and lowers the hydrostatic pressure (water pressure). This reduced hydrostatic pressure in the pore spaces of the sediments result in the compaction of the aquifer and in the gradual lowering of the land surface. If the water is replaced in the aquifer the increased hydrostatic pressure will return the beds of sands and gravel to their original form, but once compacted the clays and silts of the confining bed will not expand to their original thickness resulting in a lower surface elevation. (See figures 2 and 3.) Figure 2 Land subsidence can cause problems such as flooding along coastal areas, as well as structural damage to buildings, highways, and dams. Subsurface minera ...

1. Land Subsidence
Introduction
Of all water that reaches the surface of the earth from all types
of precipitation, some runs off as stream
flow, some is evaporated from land and water surfaces, and
some is transpired by vegetation. It is the
purpose of this exercise to consider some aspects of what
happens to the rest of the water - that which
enters the ground. The water may remain in the ground from a
period of days to thousands of years.
Because of increased demand on groundwater supplies, many
places in the world today are
experiencing groundwater related problems.
What is Groundwater?
Some precipitation infiltrates the ground and percolates
downward through voids (pores, fractures,
crevices, and other spaces) in the soil and rock. The water in
these voids is called groundwater. Porous,

2. water-saturated layers of sand, gravel or bedrock through which
usable groundwater flows are called
aquifers. Any area of land through which water passes
downward or laterally into an aquifer is called a
recharge zone. Some materials are very impermeable to water
infiltration, such as clay, shale or dense
igneous bedrock, and are called aquicludes. (See figure 1)
Figure 1
Aquiclude
Aquiclude
There are two types of aquifers: confined and unconfined. An
unconfined aquifer forms when
groundwater collects above a layer of relatively impermeable
rock or compacted clay, and the top of the
water represents the water table. A confined or artesian aquifer
forms when groundwater is
sandwiched between two aquicludes. This type of aquifer is
completely saturated with water under
great pressure and when a well is drilled into the confined

3. aquifer, sometimes water is able to rise to the
surface without pumping. This type of well is called a flowing
artesian well system. It is the confined
aquifer that is associated with land subsidence.
Land Subsidence
Mexico City, Tokyo, Houston, Las Vegas, several areas of
Arizona and California are experiencing serious
problem as a result of land subsidence. Land subsidence or
sinking of the land surface can be due to the
removal of underground water (groundwater mining). When
many wells are drilled into the aquifer,
pumping removes water from the aquifer and lowers the
hydrostatic pressure (water pressure). This
reduced hydrostatic pressure in the pore spaces of the sediments
result in the compaction of the aquifer
and in the gradual lowering of the land surface. If the water is
replaced in the aquifer the increased
hydrostatic pressure will return the beds of sands and gravel to
their original form, but once compacted
the clays and silts of the confining bed will not expand to their
original thickness resulting in a lower
surface elevation. (See figures 2 and 3.)

4. Figure 2
Land subsidence can cause problems such as flooding along
coastal areas, as well as structural damage
to buildings, highways, and dams.
Subsurface mineral mining, petroleum mining, and a natural
process called chemical (solution)
weathering of certain bedrock material can also result in land
subsidence. Central Florida, Kentucky,
Tennessee, and a small area in Michigan have underlying
limestone bedrock material. This limestone
bedrock is highly soluble and forms great underground caverns.
In certain cases, the land surface
subsides until it reaches a point of failure and caves in. The
resulting hole is called a sinkhole and can
reach great depths.
Although we can't increase the earth's supply of water, we can
manage what we have more effectively

5. to reduce the impact and spread of water resource problems.
Problems such as aquifer depletion, land
subsidence, saltwater intrusion, and groundwater contamination
are growing concerns in the United
States as well as many developing countries.
Figure 3
Name:
Section number:
Subsidence in the Santa Clara Valley, California
The first place in the United States where land subsidence due
to groundwater removal was recognized
was in the Santa Clara Valley in California. The valley is a
large, structural trough filled with nearly 2,000
feet of fined-grained sands. Below the depth of 200 feet the
groundwater is confined in these fine-
grained aquifers by layers of clay. In the past, wells near Santa

6. Clara flowed (artesian wells), but
pumping for irrigation resulted in a lowering of the water
pressure surface by 150 to 200 feet by 1965.
The water level decline and subsequent surface subsidence
continued, and, except for a recharging of
the aquifer between 1938 and 1947 due to the construction of
surface reservoirs, was an increasingly
serious problem until a groundwater recharge program brought
it to a halt around 1971.
Table 1 Table 2
Year
Water level in
well at San Jose
Year
Subsidence (ft) of
benchmark at San Jose
1915 +8 1915 0.0
1920 -32 1920 0.3
1925 -40 1934 4.6
1930 -68 1935 5.0
1935 -100 1936 5.0

7. 1940 -73 1937 5.2
1945 -50 1940 5.5
1947 -45 1945 6.0
1950 -125 1947 6.0
1955 -115 1948 8.0
1960 -120 1955 9.0
1965 -160 1963 11.1
1967 -195 1967 12.7
1. Plot the data in Table 1 on the graph paper provided showing
the change in water level in the
well at San Jose.
2. On the same graph, plot the data in Table 2 showing the
subsidence of the land surface as
recorded at the known benchmark in San Jose.
3. What was the total subsidence at San Jose from 1934 to
1967?
4. What was the average annual rate of subsidence from 1934
to 1947?
5. What was the average annual rate of subsidence from 1947
to 1967?

8. W
a
te
r
le
ve
l
(f
e
e
t
a
b
o
ve
a
n
d
b
e
lo
w

9. 0
,
la
n
d
s
u
rf
a
ce
)
S
u
b
si
d
e
n
ce
(
ft
)
6 . How do the subsidence rates compare
A. During which time period was the average subsidence rate

10. higher (land sinking quickly)?
B. During which time period was the average subsidence rate
lower (land sinking slowly)?
C. How does the rate of subsidence correspond with the level of
the water in the well
during these two time periods?
Land Subsidence and Well Levels at San Jose, California 1915-
1967
20
LS 0
-40 0
-80 2

11. -120 4
-160 6
-200 8
-240 10
12
14
1915 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970
Time period “A” 34-47 Time period “B” 47-67
7 . Impermeable materials such as clay, silt, shale, and dense
igneous bedrock form confining
subsurface layers called?

12. 8. Permeable materials such as sand, gravel, and porous
sedimentary rock such as sandstone and
limestone form underground layers through which water flows
are called?
9. Land subsidence can occur as the result of:
a. b.
c. d.
10. How does a sinkhole form?
11. Once subsidence has occurred, the land surface can be
raised to its original elevation with
proper groundwater recharge. (Circle one)
a. True
b. False

13. HW03
Adding/Removing Material
MEE 104L
Instructions
1. Create the basic, unconstrained geometry
2. Apply geometric constraints to lock the shape
3. Be sure to constrain one point on the sketch to the Origin
Point
4. Apply dimensions to lock the size. All dimensions are mm.
5. Sketch is complete when SolidWorks shows the sketch as
Fully Defined
6. Extrude or revolve the sketch to create the 3D part shown
7. Repeat 1-6 for all major shapes of the 3D part
8. Create holes, fillets, etc. to acheive the final shape of the part
9. For dimensions shown as A, B, or fractions thereof (e.g.
0.25B or 0.2A)
find A and B based on your “StudentNumber” on the attached
chart.

14. 10. Check your work against the attached grading rubric in
Isidore
11. When you have completed and checked the parts, save the
files, then
upload both .sldprt files to Isidore. Please name the files like:
HW03n-Lastname.sldprt (n= A or B).
Part Geometry:
A
0.5A
A+16
(A+16)/2
Φ0.5B THRU
B
Problem 03A
Part Geometry:
Problem 03B
0.9A
Φ0.5B THRU

15. Student Numbers & Assigned Dimensions
For many assignments, there will be a few versions of
dimensions. Each of you will
have a Student No., which you will have throughout the
semester. Here is your
Student No. based on your last name, and the Assigned
Dimensions for HW02:
Student Name Student No Student Family Name Student No
Adams 1 Ingram 1
Alansari 2 Kamal 2
Aldubaisi 3 Kane 3
Alkhalfan 4 Kane 4
Alkharusi 5 Kress 5
Alotaibi 6 Larkin 6
Alrasheed 7 Lucchesi 7
Alshammari 8 Maciejewski 8
Alshoeabi 1 Madouh 1
Asher 2 Marburger 2
Bahniuk 3 McCormick 3
Biondic 4 Mier 4

16. Dimarzio 5 Miller 5
Dong 6 Moretti 6
Feldhausen 7 Quick 7
Flowers 8 Robertson 8
Freeh 1 Rollhauser 1
Guerrero 2 Santarpia 2
Harper 3 Smith 3
Harrington 4 Weigel 4
Hart 5 Wicks 5
Hogan 6 Ye 6
Horst 7 Zaura 7
Hughbanks 8 Zimmerman 8
Student
No.
Dimension
A B
1 70 40
2 76 40
3 80 40

17. 4 70 44
5 76 44
6 80 44
7 70 50
8 76 50
Student Numbers Assigned Dimensions