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51-516: The Goose Creek field is also the first place where subsidence of overlying terrain was attributed to the removal of oil from underneath. On the Goose Creek field, subsidence has damaged houses, roads, and businesses, and much of the oil field that was on land in the early years of its development is now submerged in Tabbs Bay. Subsidence-induced motion along faults on the field also caused

102-630: A comparative analysis of various land subsidence monitoring techniques. The results indicated that InSAR offered the highest coverage, lowest annual cost per point of information and the highest point density. Additionally, they found that, aside from continuous acquisition systems typically installed in areas with rapid subsidence, InSAR had the highest measurement frequencies. In contrast, leveling, non-permanent GNSS, and non-permanent extensometers generally provided only one or two measurements per year. These methods project future land subsidence trends by extrapolating from existing data, treating subsidence as

153-459: A function solely of time. The extrapolation can be performed either visually or by fitting appropriate curves. Common functions used for fitting include linear, bilinear, quadratic, and/or exponential models. For example, this method has been successfully applied for predicting mining-induced subsidence. These approaches evaluate land subsidence based on its relationship with one or more influencing factors, such as changes in groundwater levels,

204-453: A new approach for tackling nonlinear problems. It has emerged as a promising method for simulating and predicting land subsidence. 80 (1921-1960) 6.5 (1952-1968) 4 (2003-2010) 100 (1997-2002) Ross S. Sterling Ross Shaw Sterling (February 11, 1875 – March 25, 1949) was an American politician who was the 31st Governor of Texas , serving a single two-year term from January 20, 1931, to January 17, 1933. Sterling

255-431: A number of years, a cumulative drying occurs as the tree grows. That can lead to the opposite of subsidence, known as heave or swelling of the soil, when the tree declines or is felled. As the cumulative moisture deficit is reversed, which can last up to 25 years, the surface level around the tree will rise and expand laterally. That often damages buildings unless the foundations have been strengthened or designed to cope with

306-489: A result of increased effective stress . In this way, land subsidence has the potential of becoming self-perpetuating, having rates up to 5 cm/yr. Water management used to be tuned primarily to factors such as crop optimization but, to varying extents, avoiding subsidence has come to be taken into account as well. When differential stresses exist in the Earth, these can be accommodated either by geological faulting in

357-555: A solidified crust of rock; mining; pumping of subsurface fluids, such as groundwater or petroleum ; or warping of the Earth's crust by tectonic forces. Subsidence resulting from tectonic deformation of the crust is known as tectonic subsidence and can create accommodation for sediments to accumulate and eventually lithify into sedimentary rock . Ground subsidence is of global concern to geologists , geotechnical engineers , surveyors , engineers , urban planners , landowners, and

408-705: Is buried at Glenwood Cemetery in Houston. Three Texas schools are named after him, Sterling High School in Baytown , Sterling High School in Houston , and Ross Sterling Middle School in Humble, Texas . In addition, his grand-nephew, Ross N. Sterling , a Republican , became a United States federal judge in Texas under appointment of U.S. President Gerald R. Ford Jr. In 1925, Sterling's daughter Mildred married

459-451: Is relatively predictable in its magnitude, manifestation and extent, except where a sudden pillar or near-surface tunnel collapse occurs (usually very old workings ). Mining-induced subsidence is nearly always very localized to the surface above the mined area, plus a margin around the outside. The vertical magnitude of the subsidence itself typically does not cause problems, except in the case of drainage (including natural drainage)–rather, it

510-415: Is the associated surface compressive and tensile strains, curvature, tilts and horizontal displacement that are the cause of the worst damage to the natural environment, buildings and infrastructure. Where mining activity is planned, mining-induced subsidence can be successfully managed if there is co-operation from all of the stakeholders. This is accomplished through a combination of careful mine planning,

561-442: Is the first place where subsidence of the land over the oil field was definitively attributed to the extraction of petroleum. Subsidence over the Goose Creek field is well documented and particularly dramatic; parts of the field which were once above-water are now wholly or partially submerged, and the area of subsidence almost exactly conforms to the boundary of the productive region. The connection between extraction and subsidence

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612-612: The Fred Hartman Bridge . The oil field is an accumulation of petroleum in sediment overlying a deep salt dome , one of several such fields in the Gulf of Mexico region. It was the first oil field to be found in a deep rather than a shallow salt dome, and its discovery led to the search for others like it; the finds that resulted were some of the largest oil fields in the United States. The sedimentary layers over

663-589: The "Trio". In addition to the oil industry , Sterling was involved in a railroad company, the former Houston Post newspaper, banking, and real estate in the Houston area. He was a member of the Houston Port Commission. He served as chairman of the Texas Highway Commission under his predecessor, Governor Dan Moody . A Democrat , Sterling defeated former Governor Miriam "Ma" Ferguson and several other candidates in

714-499: The 1930 primary race for governor. During Sterling's term in office, the East Texas oil fields experienced rapid and uncontrolled development. The Railroad Commission of Texas attempted proration, but the courts struck down the plan. Because of the chaotic situation, Sterling declared martial law in four counties for six months. National Guard troops were sent to the oil fields to limit waste and control production. This action

765-517: The Baytown Refinery would eventually become the largest refinery in the United States. In addition, in 1919 Sterling arranged for the construction of Baytown on land adjacent to his new refinery. High oil prices also fueled the field's fast development. The First World War had caused a run-up in the price, which reached $ 1.35 per barrel by 1917. During that year the average well was producing over 1,000 barrels per day (160 m/d), and

816-524: The area. The first attempts to develop the field followed shortly, but none of the wells produced economic quantities of oil; indeed it was not until 1908 that oil was found at all, and the Producers Oil Company drilled 20 separate times in a failed attempt to create a well that flowed sufficiently to turn a profit. The American Petroleum Company had better luck, and their 8,000-barrel (1,300 m)-per-day gusher on August 23, 1916 brought in

867-409: The area. The subsidence was brought to a halt when secondary recovery wells pumped enough water into the oil reservoir to stabilize it. Land subsidence can occur in various ways during an earthquake. Large areas of land can subside drastically during an earthquake because of offset along fault lines. Land subsidence can also occur as a result of settling and compacting of unconsolidated sediment from

918-422: The asthenosphere. If mass is added to a local area of the crust (e.g., through deposition ), the crust subsides to compensate and maintain isostatic balance . The opposite of isostatic subsidence is known as isostatic rebound —the action of the crust returning (sometimes over periods of thousands of years) to a state of isostacy, such as after the melting of large ice sheets or the drying-up of large lakes after

969-826: The bankruptcy court for Delaware. 29°42′36.06″N 94°58′59.13″W  /  29.7100167°N 94.9830917°W  / 29.7100167; -94.9830917 For a complete listing, see list of cities and towns in Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land MSA Subsidence Subsidence is a general term for downward vertical movement of the Earth's surface, which can be caused by both natural processes and human activities. Subsidence involves little or no horizontal movement, which distinguishes it from slope movement . Processes that lead to subsidence include dissolution of underlying carbonate rock by groundwater ; gradual compaction of sediments ; withdrawal of fluid lava from beneath

1020-554: The biggest gusher also occurred during 1917 – a well drilled by the Simms-Sinclair Company which spewed 35,000 barrels per day (5,600 m/d), remaining out of control for several days. The Goose Creek Oil Field was the location of the first offshore wells in Texas. They were drilled in shallow water from piers like the ones in on the Summerland field in Summerland, California twenty years before, which were

1071-401: The brittle crust , or by ductile flow in the hotter and more fluid mantle . Where faults occur, absolute subsidence may occur in the hanging wall of normal faults. In reverse, or thrust, faults, relative subsidence may be measured in the footwall. The crust floats buoyantly in the asthenosphere , with a ratio of mass below the "surface" in proportion to its own density and the density of

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1122-416: The dome are themselves arched into a shape conforming to the underlying dome, so the structure forms a perfect trap for hydrocarbons which would otherwise migrate to the surface. The field contains 30 separate pools or producing horizons, ranging in depth from 800 to 4,500 feet (1,400 m). The oil-bearing strata under the salt dome consist of porous sands with some interspersed clay. The Goose Creek field

1173-507: The effect. High buildings can create land subsidence by pressing the soil beneath with their weight. The problem is already felt in New York City , San Francisco Bay Area , Lagos . Land subsidence leads to the lowering of the ground surface, altering the topography. This elevation reduction increases the risk of flooding , particularly in river flood plains and delta areas. Earth fissures are linear fractures that appear on

1224-673: The excessive extraction of groundwater, making it a growing problem throughout the world. Groundwater fluctuations can also indirectly affect the decay of organic material. The habitation of lowlands , such as coastal or delta plains, requires drainage . The resulting aeration of the soil leads to the oxidation of its organic components, such as peat , and this decomposition process may cause significant land subsidence. This applies especially when groundwater levels are periodically adapted to subsidence, in order to maintain desired unsaturated zone depths, exposing more and more peat to oxygen. In addition to this, drained soils consolidate as

1275-425: The eye of which passed directly over the field, and destroyed or damaged considerable oil and gas infrastructure in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico. In spite of the direct hit by Ike, and the field being right at sea level or in shallow water, subject to storm surge, little long-term damage occurred; nevertheless the field was inoperative for two weeks. On February 11, 2009, Foothills filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in

1326-470: The field and the various private parcels within it, the State sought to collect the revenues from oil and gas produced since the land went underwater. The State lost the suit, with the court ruling that the subsidence was caused by the extraction of oil, and was therefore an "act of Man" rather than a natural event. Humble Oil continued to produce from the field. Parts of the field have subsided nine feet from

1377-402: The field produced 8,923,635 barrels (1,418,744.6 m) of oil (more than the current estimated recoverable reserve). Some of the infrastructure improvements built during this year were the railroad connecting the oil field to the site of the future refinery, and pipelines crossing under the bay connecting storage tanks to the mainland. On May 24, 1919, a tropical storm destroyed over 1,450 of

1428-520: The field. Foothills immediately began a remapping and 3D-seismic survey program to identify new development opportunities. At this time the daily production from the field was around 820 barrels (130 m) of oil per day; Foothills-Resources claimed that the field retained 5.1 million barrels (810,000 m) of proven reserves. In late 2007 they put in new wells, but the entire field was shut down for two weeks in September 2008 due to Hurricane Ike ,

1479-482: The field. The subsequent fast influx of workers and equipment engendered a pair of boomtowns – Pelly and Goose Creek – adjacent to the field. In 1917 Ross S. Sterling , president of Humble Oil Company , chose to build a refinery on vacant land just northwest of the oil field, reorganizing his firm as the Humble Oil and Refining Company in order to accomplish the task. Humble Oil would go on to become Exxon , and

1530-481: The first in the world. Due to subsidence many of the wells which were originally on land are now wholly or partially submerged. Because of the sinking of the land containing the field, the State of Texas sued the Humble Oil Co. for rights to the field, as technically the field had ceased to be on land but had joined the state water bottomlands, which were not subject to private ownership. Along with title to

1581-491: The flimsy wooden oil derricks erected on the field. After the production peak in 1918, field output began a slow decline, dropping from the high of 25,000 barrels per day (4,000 m/d) in 1918 to only 1,100 in 1943. Production increased again in the 1960s with the development of water injection technologies, but then began falling off as the field became depleted. The field's major operators in 1984 were Exxon , Chevron , Mobil , Monsanto , Coastal, and Enderli Oil. Many of

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1632-521: The ground level. Since exploitation of the Slochteren ( Netherlands ) gas field started in the late 1960s the ground level over a 250 km area has dropped by a current maximum of 30 cm. Extraction of petroleum likewise can cause significant subsidence. The city of Long Beach, California , has experienced 9 meters (30 ft) over the course of 34 years of petroleum extraction, resulting in damage of over $ 100 million to infrastructure in

1683-471: The highest well locations next to developed parts of Baytown, on the north side of the field, to submerged and partially submerged areas within Tabbs Bay itself. Much of the field is close to sea level. The total productive area of the field, including the submerged portion, is approximately 3,470 acres (14.0 km). Alexander Drive, a spur of Texas State Highway 146 , runs through the field. West of Goose Creek it rejoins Highway 146 to go over Tabbs Bay on

1734-402: The land surface, characterized by openings or offsets. These fissures can be several meters deep, several meters wide, and extend for several kilometers. They form when the deformation of an aquifer, caused by pumping, concentrates stress in the sediment. This inhomogeneous deformation results in the differential compaction of the sediments. Ground fissures develop when this tensile stress exceeds

1785-443: The last ice age. Lake Bonneville is a famous example of isostatic rebound. Due to the weight of the water once held in the lake, the earth's crust subsided nearly 200 feet (61 m) to maintain equilibrium. When the lake dried up, the crust rebounded. Today at Lake Bonneville , the center of the former lake is about 200 feet (61 m) higher than the former lake edges. Many soils contain significant proportions of clay. Because of

1836-406: The major oil companies began divesting their onshore operations in the U.S. around this time, selling them to independents, as opportunities overseas became more attractive. The field changed hands several times, going to Wood Energy Corp. in 1996, and then to Texas American Resources in 1999. They operated the field until 2006, at which time Bakersfield, California -based Foothills-Resources bought

1887-400: The only earthquake of local origin ever felt in the Houston area. The Goose Creek field is located along the northern shoreline of Tabbs Bay, an arm of Galveston Bay , at the point where Goose Creek exits to the sea. It is directly south of the city of Baytown, and about 25 miles (40 km) east of downtown Houston . Elevations on the field range from approximately 30 feet (9.1 m) at

1938-405: The original ground surface elevation since production began, while subsidence in adjacent Baytown has reached approximately six feet. Not all of the subsidence in the field and adjacent areas is due to oil withdrawal; some is from pumping of groundwater from water wells. Peak production of the field had been reached by 1918, before the street grid for Baytown had even been drawn up. In that year

1989-556: The public in general. Pumping of groundwater or petroleum has led to subsidence of as much as 9 meters (30 ft) in many locations around the world and incurring costs measured in hundreds of millions of US dollars. Land subsidence caused by groundwater withdrawal will likely increase in occurrence and related damages, primarily due to global population and economic growth, which will continue to drive higher groundwater demand. Subsidence frequently causes major problems in karst terrains, where dissolution of limestone by fluid flow in

2040-462: The seismic activity is due to tectonic forces – has been sufficient to damage buildings and be felt in the local area. One of the faults in the Goose Creek area, first observed in 1925, shows a vertical displacement of 0.4 meter, along a length of over 700 meters. Subsidence of land due to either oil or groundwater extraction is now widely recognized, and the Gulf Coast is one of many places in

2091-525: The shaking of an earthquake. The Geospatial Information Authority of Japan reported immediate subsidence caused by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake . In Northern Japan, subsidence of 0.50 m (1.64 ft) was observed on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Miyako , Tōhoku , while Rikuzentakata, Iwate measured 0.84 m (2.75 ft). In the south at Sōma, Fukushima , 0.29 m (0.95 ft)

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2142-620: The subsurface creates voids (i.e., caves ). If the roof of a void becomes too weak, it can collapse and the overlying rock and earth will fall into the space, causing subsidence at the surface. This type of subsidence can cause sinkholes which can be many hundreds of meters deep. Several types of sub-surface mining , and specifically methods which intentionally cause the extracted void to collapse (such as pillar extraction, longwall mining and any metalliferous mining method which uses "caving" such as "block caving" or "sub-level caving") will result in surface subsidence. Mining-induced subsidence

2193-405: The taking of preventive measures, and the carrying out of repairs post-mining. If natural gas is extracted from a natural gas field the initial pressure (up to 60 MPa (600 bar )) in the field will drop over the years. The pressure helps support the soil layers above the field. If the gas is extracted, the overburden pressure sediment compacts and may lead to earthquakes and subsidence at

2244-595: The tensile strength of the sediment. Land subsidence can lead to differential settlements in buildings and other infrastructures , causing angular distortions. When these angular distortions exceed certain values, the structures can become damaged, resulting in issues such as tilting or cracking. Land subsidence causes vertical displacements (subsidence or uplift). Although horizontal displacements also occur, they are generally less significant. The following are field methods used to measure vertical and horizontal displacements in subsiding areas: Tomás et al. conducted

2295-441: The very small particle size, they are affected by changes in soil moisture content. Seasonal drying of the soil results in a lowering of both the volume and the surface of the soil. If building foundations are above the level reached by seasonal drying, they move, possibly resulting in damage to the building in the form of tapering cracks. Trees and other vegetation can have a significant local effect on seasonal drying of soils. Over

2346-665: The volume of groundwater extraction , and clay content. This model assumes that changes in piezometric levels affecting aquifers and aquitards occur only in the vertical direction. It allows for subsidence calculations at a specific point using only vertical soil parameters. Quasi-three-dimensional seepage models apply Terzaghi 's one-dimensional consolidation equation to estimate subsidence, integrating some aspects of three-dimensional effects. The fully coupled three-dimensional model simulates water flow in three dimensions and calculates subsidence using Biot's three-dimensional consolidation theory. Machine learning has become

2397-410: The world in which it has become a serious problem. In the present day, oil fields underneath sensitive areas, such as cities, are usually re-pressurized with water or gas to prevent the land above them from collapsing into the vacated space. Bubbles of methane gas coming up in the shallow water along the shoreline of Galveston Bay alerted early prospectors in 1903 to the possibility of an oil field in

2448-711: Was born in Anahuac in Chambers County near Houston, Texas . He grew up on a farm and, after little formal education, began working as a clerk at the age of 12. At the age of 21, Sterling launched his own merchandising business. In 1911, his brother Frank Sterling , other oilmen, and he formed the Humble Oil Company , a predecessor of present-day Exxon-Mobil . They were joined in the venture by their sister, Florence M. Sterling . Sterling and his brother Frank and his sister, Florence, were referred to as

2499-495: Was first recognized by geologists Wallace Everette Pratt and D.W. Johnson, who published their findings in a 1926 paper. By this year, after about ten years of active pumping, most of the productive area of the field had subsided three feet, and the submerging of the facilities had already become obvious to field operators. Along with the subsidence, surface faulting has been observed, and motion along these faults – although minimal compared to motion along faults in areas in which

2550-577: Was later declared unwarranted by the federal district court and the U.S. Supreme Court , and the Railroad Commission's plan for proration was accepted. Cotton prices continued to decline during Sterling's term in office. Sterling's loss in the 1932 primary was the closest primary defeat for an incumbent governor in United States history. He wed Maud Abbie Gage on October 10, 1898. Sterling died in Fort Worth on March 25, 1949, and

2601-672: Was observed. The maximum amount of subsidence was 1.2 m (3.93 ft), coupled with horizontal diastrophism of up to 5.3 m (17.3 ft) on the Oshika Peninsula in Miyagi Prefecture . Groundwater-related subsidence is the subsidence (or the sinking) of land resulting from groundwater extraction. It is a growing problem in the developing world as cities increase in population and water use, without adequate pumping regulation and enforcement. One estimate has 80% of serious land subsidence problems associated with

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