Land Subsidence Due to Creep of the Gulf Coast Aquifer System in the Houston-Galveston Region

ABSTRACT The compaction measurements of Quaternary and Tertiary Gulf Coast aquifer system sediments in the Houston-Galveston region (TX) show spatially variable compression 0.08 to 8.49 mm/yr because geohistorical overburden pressure when groundwater levels were stable after about year 2000. An aquifer-system creep equation is developed for evaluating this compression, with a thickness-weighted average coefficient based on Taylor's (1942) secondary consolidation theory. temporal variation can be neglected short-term observation period (such as decade) long-term over 1,000 years) geohistory. found range 8.74 × 10−5 3.94 10−3 (dimensionless), an 1.38 10−3. Moreover, silty clay or clay-dominant aquitards value varies 2.21 10−4 10−3, which consistent values by Mesri (1973) most soils, vary coefficient, 1 5 Land subsidence due estimated 0.04 4.33 m 20th century projected 0.01 0.64 21st at 13 borehole extensometer locations region. significant should considered relative sea level rise, addition tectonic primary consolidation.