Land subsidence in coastal Texas: Locations, rates, triggers, and consequences

Simple item page
dc.contributor.advisorMohamed, Ahmed
dc.contributor.authorHaley, Michael Boyd
dc.contributor.committeeMemberMurgulet, Dorina
dc.contributor.committeeMemberStarek, Michael J.
dc.date.accessioned2021-10-08T21:01:20Z
dc.date.available2021-10-08T21:01:20Z
dc.date.issued2021-08
dc.description.abstractLand subsidence and sea level rise are well-known ongoing problems that are negatively impacting the entire Texas coast. While ground-based monitoring techniques using Global Positioning System (GPS) provide accurate subsidence rates, they are labor intensive, expensive, time consuming, and spatially limited (e.g., point measurements). In this study, Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) techniques were used to map locations and quantify rates of land subsidence in the Texas Costal Bend region during the period from October 2016 to July 2019. InSAR-derived land subsidence rates were validated against GPS-derived rates. Factors controlling the observed land subsidence rates and locations were also investigated. Consequences of increased land subsidence rates in Texas Costal Bend region were examined. Results indicate: (1) land subsidence rates in the Coastal Bend exhibit both spatial and temporal variabilities, (2) some areas experienced a localized subsidence as high as -21 mm/yr and other areas show a land uplift with rate of > 10 mm/yr, (3) InSAR-derived land subsidence rates were consistent with GPS derived deformation rates, (4) Seven regions (e.g., Victoria, George West, Refugio, Falfurrias, Karnes City, McAllen, and Nueces Bay/Corpus Christi) were observed to experience significant land subsidence rates along Texas Costal Bend region during the investigated period, (5) land subsidence in Coastal Texas is attributed mainly to oil and ground water extraction as well as vertical movements along growth faults, and (6) land subsidence increased both flood frequency and severity in Coastal Texas. Our results provide valuable information regarding not only land deformation rates in the Texas Coastal Bend region, but alsothe effectiveness of interferometric techniques in other coastal rural areas around the world that lack significant GPS coverage. Mapping land subsidence rates and locations in coastal Texas significantly improve the current understanding of factors controlling the variability in land deformation in coastal areas by providing a high-resolution spatial and temporal dataset that is currently not available on this detailed scale.en_US
dc.description.collegeCollege of Science and Engineeringen_US
dc.description.departmentPhysical and Environmental Sciencesen_US
dc.format.extent60 pagesen_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1969.6/89797
dc.language.isoen_USen_US
dc.rightsThis material is made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright law. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used should be fully credited with its source. All rights are reserved and retained regardless of current or future development or laws that may apply to fair use standards. Permission for publication of this material, in part or in full, must be secured with the author and/or publisher.en_US
dc.subjectCoastal Texasen_US
dc.subjectFlooden_US
dc.subjectGroundwater extractionen_US
dc.subjectInSARen_US
dc.subjectLand subsidenceen_US
dc.subjectOil extractionen_US
dc.titleLand subsidence in coastal Texas: Locations, rates, triggers, and consequencesen_US
dc.typeTexten_US
dc.type.genreThesisen_US
thesis.degree.disciplineEnvironmental Scienceen_US
thesis.degree.grantorTexas A & M University--Corpus Christien_US
thesis.degree.levelMastersen_US
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Scienceen_US

Files

Original bundle

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
Haley_MichaelBoyd_Thesis.pdf.pdf
Size:
1.67 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Thesis
Download

License bundle

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
license.txt
Size:
1.72 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description:
Download

Collections

Theses
College of Science Theses and Dissertations