Why we urgently need a public subsidence information service in the Netherlands
Geological surveys traditionally assess past and present processes in the subsurface, focusing mainly on exploration and extraction of natural resources. Applications like these determined how geological surveys designed and operated their information services. In recent years, information needs are...
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Published in | Proceedings of the International Association of Hydrological Sciences Vol. 382; pp. 821 - 823 |
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Main Authors | , , , |
Format | Journal Article Conference Proceeding |
Language | English |
Published |
Gottingen
Copernicus GmbH
22.04.2020
Copernicus Publications |
Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | Geological surveys traditionally assess past and present
processes in the subsurface, focusing mainly on exploration and extraction
of natural resources. Applications like these determined how geological
surveys designed and operated their information services. In recent years,
information needs are rapidly evolving in conjunction with emerging societal
challenges such as climate change and the related energy transition. Both
challenges have a geological component and have potentially large
implications for future land use. Subsidence is a particularly wicked
challenge to the Dutch lowlands. These lands are drained to keep them arable
and habitable, while drainage causes subsidence. They overlie hydrocarbon
and other geological recourses of which the production causes subsidence
too. The effects of both – increased flood risk – are aggravated by climate
change and sea-level rise. Managing these risks requires knowing and
understanding the connection between subsurface processes and surface
movement. This knowledge must be quantitative. Subsidence forecasts can be
improved by squeezing all possible information out of a variety of local
data, ranging from geological data that bear information on subsidence
potential to geodetic data which allow for subsidence monitoring. This paper
will substantiate the value of subsidence information for governance in
sensitive areas, using examples in The Netherlands. In particular, the
potential role of a nation-wide, freely accessible repository for subsidence
data will be highlighted. |
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ISSN: | 2199-899X 2199-8981 2199-899X |
DOI: | 10.5194/piahs-382-821-2020 |