Beijing Sinking

Eastern portion of Beijing sinking at a rate greater than 100 mm/year: Study

Now you see it, now you don’t!  China’s capital Beijing could disappear in a  gigantic sinkhole.

Beijing’s massive subsidence, which has been occurring since at least 1935, is caused by the overexploitation or mining of groundwater. About 60% of the water supply comes from groundwater, and the rest from surface water.

Beijing used about 3.6 billion cubic meters (m³) of water in 2010, compared to renewable fresh water resources of about 3 billion m³. [The consumption may have risen by about 14% over the past five years.]

Article: Imaging Land Subsidence Induced by Groundwater Extraction in Beijing (China) Using Satellite Radar Interferometry

Abstract

Beijing is one of the most water-stressed cities in the world. Due to over-exploitation of groundwater, the Beijing region has been suffering from land subsidence since 1935. In this study, the Small Baseline InSAR technique has been employed to process Envisat ASAR images acquired between 2003 and 2010 and TerraSAR-X stripmap images collected from 2010 to 2011 to investigate land subsidence in the Beijing region. The maximum subsidence is seen in the eastern part of Beijing with a rate greater than 100 mm/year. Comparisons between InSAR and GPS derived subsidence rates show an RMS difference of 2.94 mm/year with a mean of 2.41 ± 1.84 mm/year. In addition, a high correlation was observed between InSAR subsidence rate maps derived from two different datasets (i.e., Envisat and TerraSAR-X). These demonstrate once again that InSAR is a powerful tool for monitoring land subsidence. InSAR derived subsidence rate maps have allowed for a comprehensive spatio-temporal analysis to identify the main triggering factors of land subsidence. Some interesting relationships in terms of land subsidence were found with groundwater level, active faults, accumulated soft soil thickness and different aquifer types. Furthermore, a relationship with the distances to pumping wells was also recognized in this work.

Chen M, Tomás R, Li Z, Motagh M, Li T, Hu L, Gong H, Li X, Yu J, Gong X. Imaging Land Subsidence Induced by Groundwater Extraction in Beijing (China) Using Satellite Radar Interferometry. Remote Sensing. 2016; 8(6):468.

The World Cities Are Running Out of Fresh Water [AND Sinking]

Groundwater from aquifers is a main source for drinking, irrigation and industrial use for much of the world’s population. Globally, an estimated 4 billion people depend on groundwater for drinking, but the water is running out!

Groundwater cannot be replenished from rainfall, and in most cases it takes tens of thousands of years to restore naturally.

According to the International Water Management Institute, about 1,000 cubic kilometers of groundwater are withdrawn each year, which is wholly unsustainable!

More Water Facts

• Total water on Earth: 1.4 x 10^18 m³
• Water in the oceans: About 97.5% of the total
• Volume of Fresh water: Approximately 35 x 10^15 m³ of the earth’s total water. About 0.3% of the freshwater is held in rivers, lakes, and reservoirs and the remainder is stored in glaciers, permanent snow, and groundwater aquifers.
• Water contained in the earth’s atmosphere: about 13 x 10^12 m³
• Water removed from the earth’s surface via evaporation: about 577 x 10^12 m³ each year (only 14% of the water evaporation is from land).
• Total annual precipitation falling on land: about 115 x 10^12 m³ (20% of total evaporation – the 6% surplus water returns to the oceans via rivers.)
• Total freshwater on Earth stored as groundwater: Approximately 11 x 10^15 m³ (30% of all freshwater).
• Water collected in lakes and rivers: about 110 x 10^12 m³ is held as groundwater (one hundredth of the total groundwater reserves)
• Aquifers contribution to human water consumption: an estimated 30% [?] of all of the water used throughout the world.
• Natural recharge rate for the aquifers: from 0.01% to 3% per year.
• Estimated overdraft of global groundwater: about 200 x 10^9 m³ or (twice the average recharge rate!)

Sinking Cities

World cities and agricultural lands that are situated above aquifers and groundwater reserves are slowly but permanently sinking into the ground, as the water is pumped out at phenomenal rates.

In China, at least 46 cities are sinking into the ground due to the excessive pumping of groundwater. In Shanghai excessive groundwater pumping contributes to 70 percent of surface subsidence (the remaining 30 percent is thought to be due to the weight of buildings).

Buildings damaged in a cave-in at Shanghai’s No 4 subway construction site.
[Photo: China Daily] See Fair Use Notice!

A Third of World’s Major Aquifers Rapidly Depleting: Report

Groundwater basins likely far smaller than previously thought: Researchers

Some of the world’s largest groundwater basins are rapidly depleting due to excessive human consumption, according to two new studies led by UC Irvine.

Researchers say they they don’t know exactly how much more water remains in the basins.

The findings are significant because humans are consuming groundwater quickly without knowing when it might run out, the researchers say.

“Available physical and chemical measurements are simply insufficient,” said UCI principal researcher. “Given how quickly we are consuming the world’s groundwater reserves, we need a coordinated global effort to determine how much is left.”

Researchers classified eight of the planet’s 37 largest aquifers as “overstressed,” with almost “no natural replenishment to offset usage,” and five others as “extremely or highly stressed.”

Unsurprisingly, the most stressed aquifers are in the world’s driest areas, which depend greatly on underground water. “Climate change and population growth are expected to intensify the problem.”

“What happens when a highly stressed aquifer is located in a region with socioeconomic or political tensions that can’t supplement declining water supplies fast enough?” asks the lead author on both studies. “We’re trying to raise red flags now to pinpoint where active management today could protect future lives and livelihoods.”

Researchers found that the Arabian Aquifer System, on which more than 60 million people depend, is the most overstressed reserve in the world.

The second-most overstressed reserve is the Indus Basin aquifer in NW India and Pakistan, with the Murzuk-Djado Basin in northern Africa in third position. California’s Central Valley is also classified as “highly stressed.”

“As we’re seeing in California right now, we rely much more heavily on groundwater during drought,” said the principal researcher.

“We don’t actually know how much is stored in each of these aquifers.” The lead author said. “In a water-scarce society, we can no longer tolerate this level of uncertainty, especially since groundwater is disappearing so rapidly.”

[Globally, about 2.2 billion people rely on groundwater as the primary source of freshwater. Estimate is based on FIRE-EARTH Models.]

The report is posted at Water Resources Research

DISASTER Diary – 21 May 2013

Major Disaster Declared in Oklahoma after Mega Tornado Kills Dozens

The Disaster President has declared a major disaster exists in the State of Oklahoma in the area affected by severe storms and tornadoes beginning on May 18, 2013, and continuing.

The areas worst affected are the counties of Cleveland, Lincoln, McClain, Oklahoma, and Pottawatomie.

At least 91 people, many of them children, are feared to have been killed and about 240 others injured after a mega tornado ripped through Oklahoma City suburbs, leveling numerous blocks in the city of Moore (pop: ~ 55,000),  Cleveland County, Oklahoma.

The death toll included 51 confirmed deaths and an additional 40 bodies on their way to the Medical Examiner’s office. (See also the ‘Joplin Syndrome’).

• The tornado was rated as at least an EF4, with winds of up to 200mph, according to NWS preliminary damage ratings.
• The tornadic event began at 2.56pm CDT on Monday and lasted for 40 minutes.
• Moore twister was as much as two miles wide, and carved a 20-mile path of destruction.
• The tornado left obliterated many hundreds of homes and other buildings in Moore.

This is a preliminary tornado track for the tornado that affected Newcastle, Moore, and Oklahoma City on May 20, 2013. The tornado touchdown at around 2:56 pm in Newcastle, OK and moved through Moore and south OKC before lifting at around 3:36 pm. The path length is estimated to be about 20 miles long with a preliminary damage rating of at least EF4. —NWS

“Our hearts are broken,” Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin said. “This is bigger than anything I’ve ever seen. It’s absolutely huge. It’s horrific.”

More Severe Weather Expected from Great Lakes to Central Texas on Tuesday

More severe weather is expected on Tuesday from the Great Lakes across the Mississippi River Valley and into central Texas. Primary threats will be very large hail, damaging winds and tornadoes. Some of the storms could also produce heavy rainfall leading to flash flooding concerns, especially in the Ark-La-Tex region. —NWS

-oOo-

Other Global Disasters/ Significant Events

Average CO₂ at Mauna Loa Observatory: Last 5 days of preliminary daily average CO2

• May 20 – 400.15 ppm
• May 19 – 400.06 ppm
• May 18 – 399.77 ppm
• May 17 – 399.87 ppm
• May 16 – 399.74 ppm

-oOo-

Groundwater depletion in the U.S. has accelerated

Groundwater depletion in the United States during 1900–2008 was about 1,000 cubic kilometers (km³), according to a new study released by USGS.

• The rate of groundwater depletion has increased significantly since about 1950, with maximum rates occurring during the most recent period (2000–2008), said the report.
• The average depletion rate climbed to about 25 km³ [6.6 trillion gallons] per year during 2000–2008, compared to 9.2 km³ per year averaged over the 1900–2008 period.

Map of the United States (excluding Alaska) showing cumulative groundwater depletion, 1900 through 2008, in 40 assessed aquifer systems or subareas. Colors are hatched in the Dakota aquifer (area 39) where the aquifer overlaps with other aquifers having different values of depletion. [Konikow, L.F., 2013, Groundwater depletion in the United States (1900−2008): U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2013−5079. http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2013/5079.(Available only online.)]

-oOo-

Kamchatka, Russia

At least 2 dozen significant quakes, measuring between 5.0 and 6.0Mw, have struck off the east coast of Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia since Monday May 20, 2013. 

-oOo-

DISASTER CALENDAR – May 21, 2013 — 
SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,026 Days Left 

Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,026 Days Left to ‘Worst Day’ in the brief Human  History
• The countdown began on May 15, 2011 …

GLOBAL WARNINGS

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID PLANETARY DECLINE IN PROGRESS!
• Europe: The First Phase of Collapse Has Started 
• United States: The First Phase of Collapse Has Begun

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Mass Die-offs

Planet of Polluted Water

Image of the Day:

The [Polluted] Water Planet

How Polluted is the Water on Your Planet?

From the space you cannot yet see how polluted the water is on the ‘Water Planet!’

Detailed, photo-like image of Earth based largely on observations by MODIS on NASA’s Terra satellite.Click Image to enlarge. Download large image (1 MB, JPEG). Image acquired July 10, 2005.

Related Links:

• The Water Cycle [NASA E/O]
• Canceling Your Life Insurance Policy with Nature
• Drying Aquifers, Sinking Cities

• Our Dying Oceans