Coastal subsidence and relative sea level rise

Environmental Research Letters
By:  and 

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Abstract

Subsurface fluid-pressure declines caused by pumping of groundwater or hydrocarbons can lead to aquifer-system compaction and consequent land subsidence. This subsidence can be rapid, as much as 30 cm per year in some instances, and large, totaling more than 13 m in extreme examples. Thus anthropogenic subsidence may be the dominant contributor to relative sea-level rise in coastal environments where subsurface fluids are heavily exploited. Maximum observed rates of human-induced subsidence greatly exceed the rates of natural subsidence of unconsolidated sediments (~0.1–1 cm yr−1) and the estimated rates of ongoing global sea-level rise (~0.3 cm yr−1).

Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Coastal subsidence and relative sea level rise
Series title Environmental Research Letters
DOI 10.1088/1748-9326/9/9/091002
Volume 9
Issue 9
Year Published 2014
Language English
Publisher IOP Science
Contributing office(s) National Research Program - Western Branch, Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Water Science Center
Description 4 p.
Online Only (Y/N) N
Additional Online Files (Y/N) N
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