A New Software to Model Earth Fissure Caused by Extensive Aquifer Exploitation and its Application to the Guangming Village Case, China
<p>Earth fissures accompanying anthropogenic land subsidence due to excessive aquifer exploitation create significant geohazards in China. Numerical models represent a unique scientific approach to predict the generation and development of earth fissures. However, the common geomechanical simu...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2020-04-01
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| Series: | Proceedings of the International Association of Hydrological Sciences |
| Online Access: | https://www.proc-iahs.net/382/511/2020/piahs-382-511-2020.pdf |
| Summary: | <p>Earth fissures accompanying anthropogenic land subsidence due to
excessive aquifer exploitation create significant geohazards in China.
Numerical models represent a unique scientific approach to predict the
generation and development of earth fissures. However, the common
geomechanical simulators fail to reproduce fissure development because they
cannot be effectively applied in discontinuous mechanics. An innovative
modelling approach developed recently is applied to develop a software to
simulate fissure development. The pressure changes are used as forcing
factors in a 3D geomechanical model, which combines Finite Elements and
Interface Elements to simulate the deformation of the continuous aquifer
system and the generation and sliding/opening of earth fissures. The approach
has been applied to simulate the earth fissures at Guangming Village in
Wuxi, China with land subsidence of more than 1 m caused by the
overexploitation of the second confined aquifer. The modelling results
highlight that the earth fissures at Guangming Village have been caused by
tension and shear stresses. Based on the developed modelling approach and
the application case study, a software platform is developed to provide a
fast preliminary evaluation of the risk of fissure occurrence associated to
land subsidence. The software allows for the simulation of a simplified 2D
conceptual geologic model of earth fissures, which can be used to
investigate how the main factors controlling the geomechanical response of
the aquifer system, such as pressure changes, geometry of aquifer system,
geomechanical properties, and depth of bedrock/fault etc.</p> |
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| ISSN: | 2199-8981 2199-899X |