Land subsidence characteristics and disaster prevention in the Tongzhou area, Beijing

Accurately assessing the impact of groundwater exploitation on land subsidence can provide scientific support for decision-makers. This article establishes a groundwater–subsidence model in a typical area using the land subsidence characteristics of Tongzhou, China, and subsequently classifies a land subsidence early warning zone based on the land subsidence rate. Results show that land subsidence occurred throughout the whole Tongzhou District. The land subsidence that developed to the west of Liuzhuang, Tongzhou city and Taihu was the most serious The maximum annual subsidence rate reached 120 mm a−1 under the current groundwater extraction conditions, and the early warning level for land subsidence reached its highest level. If the pumping of groundwater was reduced by 50 % in the second and the fourth aquifers and by 60 % in the third aquifer, the land subsidence early warning level would be largely reduced and would meet the requirements for land subsidence control.