Skip to main content
Log in

Land subsidence in Tianjin, China

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Environmental Earth Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Land subsidence has been affecting Tianjin for the past 50 years. It leads to comprehensive detrimental effects on society, the economy and natural environment. Overpumping of groundwater is the main cause. In 2008, the maximum cumulative subsidence reached 3.22 m and the total affected area nearly 8,000 km2. The subsidence reached its most critical state in the early 1980s when it occurred at a rate as high as 110 mm/year. At the same time, groundwater extraction had also reached a maximum of 1,200 million m3. By importing the Luan River to Tianjin and restricting exploitation of groundwater, hydraulic heads gradually recovered after 1986 in all aquifers, and this has continued to the present in the second aquifer. The subsidence rate in urban areas dropped to 10–15 mm/year. The area of groundwater extraction expanded to the suburban area with economic growth in the 1990s, and it was shifted to the third and fourth aquifers. At present, with a subsidence rate of 30–40 mm/year, four new suburban subsidence centers have been formed. Several measures were adopted to mitigate and prevent land subsidence disasters. These included restricting groundwater exploitation, groundwater injection, prohibiting use in the specific zone, a pricing policy for water resources, advocating water-saving technology, and strict enforcement of groundwater laws. Although the subsidence area is still increasing slowly, the subsidence rate is being controlled.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abidin HZ, Andreas H, Rochman D, Dudy D, Gamal M (2008) Land subsidence characteristics of Jakarta between 1997 and 2005, as estimated using GPS surveys. GPS Solut 12:23–32

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Angelo M, Daniele B, Giordano M, Andrea O, Franco T, Orlando V, Antonio DH, Yang JH, Cheng WQ, Dario T, Robert P (2008) The Tianjin geothermal field (north-eastern China): Water chemistry and possible reservoir permeability reduction phenomena. Geothermics 37:400–428

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chih TC, Jyr CH, Chia YL, Lee JC, Chan YC (2007) Thirty-year land elevation change from subsidence to uplift following the termination of groundwater pumping and its geological implications in the Metropolitan Taipei Basin, Northern Taiwan. Eng Geol 95:30–47

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holla L, Barclay E (2000) Mine Subsidence in the Southern Coalfield. New South Wales Department of Mineral Resources, Sydney

    Google Scholar 

  • Holzer TL (1984) Ground failure induced by groundwater withdrawal from unconsolidated sediments. Rev Eng Geol 6:67–105

    Google Scholar 

  • Holzer TL, Johnson AI (1985) Land subsidence caused by ground water withdrawal in urban areas. GeoJournal 11(3):245–255

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hu RL, Yue ZQ, Wang LC, Wang SJ (2004) Review on current status and challenging issues of land subsidence in China. Eng Geol 76:65–77

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hydrogeology and Engineering Geology Institute (1987) Chinese North Oil Survey and Exploitation Institute, Oil Paleohydrogeology and Paleohydrogeochemistry, a Case Study of Central Hebei Province. China Science Press, Beijing, p 50 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Jiang YX, Zhu QC, Wang W (2008) A discussion of the economic loss caused by land subsidence during the floodgate operation. Hydrogeol Eng Geol 35(1):126–128 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Karig DE, Hou G (1992) High-stress consolidation experiments and their geologic implications. J Geophys Res 97(B1):289–300

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Phien-wej N, Giao PH, Nutalaya P (2006) Land subsidence in Bangkok, Thailand. Eng Geol 82(4):187–201

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Singh MM (1992) Mine subsidence. In: Hartman, HL (ed.) SME Mining Engineers Handbook. 938–971

  • Sun WS (2002) Investigation report on prevention and control of land subsidence in Yangtze Delta. In: Wei ZX, Li QF (eds) Proc Natl Symp Land subsidence. Shanghai Institute of Geology Survey, Shanghai, pp 1–12 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Terzaghi KT (1925) Erdbaumechanik auf Bodenphysikalischer Grundlage. Deuticke, Wien, p 399

    Google Scholar 

  • Tianjin Geological Survey Institute (2003) The Hydrogeological Structure of the Northern China Plain. Res Rep (in Chinese)

  • Tianjin Geological Survey and Mine Resource Administration (1992) Regional Geology of Tianjin Municipality. Geology Press, Beijing, p 67 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Tianjin Land Subsidence Control Office (1989–2005), Annual Work Report of Land Subsidence Contorl in Tianjin (in Chinese)

  • Tianjin Municipal Editorial Board of Local Chronicles (2004) Tianjin Water Conservancy Annals. Tianjin social Science and Academy Publishing House, Tianjin, p 169 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Waltham T (2002) Sinking cities—feature. Geol Today 18(3):95–100

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang GY, You G, Shi B, Yu J, Tuck M (2009) Long-term land subsidence and strata compression in Changzhou, China. Eng Geol 104:109–118

    Google Scholar 

  • Wu J, Shi X, Xue Y, Zhang Y, Wei Z, Yu J (2008) The development and control of the land subsidence in the Yangtze Delta, China. Environ Geol 55:1725–1735

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xue YQ, Zhang Y, Ye SJ et al (2005) Land subsidence in China. Enviorn Geol 48:713–720

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang Y, Xue YQ, Wu JC, Ye SJ, Wei ZX, Li QF, Yu J (2007) Characteristics of aquifer system deformation in the Southern Yangtze Delta, China. Eng Geol 90:160–173

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zheng Z, Yin H, Zeng X (1990) Thermal reservoir models and heat flow characteristics of geothermal field in Tianjin. Bull Inst Hydrogeol Eng Geol 6:25–42

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by a grant from the Tianjin Water Conservancy Administration. The writers would like to express appreciation to the editor who edited the paper for english usage.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yi Lixin.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Lixin, Y., Fang, Z., He, X. et al. Land subsidence in Tianjin, China. Environ Earth Sci 62, 1151–1161 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-010-0604-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-010-0604-5

Keywords

Navigation