Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Review of approaches to mapping of hazards arising from subsidence into cavities

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This is one of a series of papers presenting results of work by IAEG Commission No. 1 Engineering Geological Maps, on hazard mapping. Subsidence into cavities is a major constraint to development in many areas leading to damage and, sometimes, loss of life. Many events relate to former mining but subsidence associated with karst is also widespread. Proper assessment of hazard and risk is needed to safeguard property and investment and has an important part to play in planning the location and design of new development and site investigations. Documentation maps and inventories of information are an important starting point but interpretative maps are needed to assess the full extent of the potential hazard. Many decisions have to be made by planners and developers who may not be trained in geoscience thus simplified maps are needed to alert them to potential problems and to the need to seek expert advice as well as providing a basis for prioritizing rehabilitation initiatives. To date, few published studies address the issue of risk mapping.

Résumé

Cet article fait partie d’un ensemble d’articles issus du travail de la commission AIGI N° 1 : Cartes de Géologie de l’Ingénieur relatives à la cartographie d’aléas. Les effondrements au-dessus de cavités souterraines constituent une contrainte majeure pour le développement dans beaucoup de régions, à l’origine de dommages et de pertes en vies humaines. De nombreux événements font référence à des activités minières anciennes mais les effondrements liés aux phénomènes karstiques sont aussi très répandus. Une évaluation correcte des aléas et des risques est nécessaire afin de garantir les biens et les investissements, pour contribuer à la planification et la conception de nouveaux développements, ainsi que pour les reconnaissances de sites. Des cartes documentaires et des inventaires constituent un point de départ important, mais des cartes prévisionnelles sont nécessaires pour évaluer complètement la répartition des aléas potentiels. De nombreuses décisions doivent être prises par les planificateurs qui peuvent ne pas être compétents en géosciences, de sorte que des cartes simplifiées sont nécessaires afin de les avertir de problèmes potentiels et les orienter vers des experts, tout en leur fournissant les bases pour les prises de décisions de réhabilitation de sites. A ce jour, peu d’études publiées concernent le sujet de la cartographie des risques.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adams FT, Lovell CW (1984) Mapping of limestone bedrock problems. Transp Res Rec 978:1–5

    Google Scholar 

  • Anon (1975) Subsidence engineers’ handbook. National Coal Board, London

  • Anstie J (1873) The coalfields of Gloucestershire and Somersetshire. Kingsmead Reprints (Bath)

  • Applied Geology Ltd (1993a) Review of instability due to natural cavities in Great Britain—summary report. Appl Geol Ltd (Royal Leamington Spa)

  • Applied Geology Ltd (1993b) Review of instability due to natural cavities in Great Britain, vol 2.3, Review of ground treatment and structural design techniques. Applied Geology Ltd (Royal Leamington Spa) Appendix D

  • Arnoud M, Broquet JF, Deveughèle M, Usseglio Polatera JM (1979) Cartographie geotechnique de la ville de Paris—première realisations (13ème, 19ème et 20ème arrondissements) Bull Internat Assoc engineer geol 19:109–115

    Google Scholar 

  • Arup Geotechnics (1992) Mining instability in Great Britain—Summary Report Department of the Environment (London) 22 pp

  • Brook D (1991) Abandoned limestone mines in the West Midlands: a strategy for action. In: Johnson AI (ed) Land subsidence. IAHS Publication No. 200, pp 215–223

  • Brook GA, Allison TL (1986) Fracture mapping and ground susceptibility modelling in covered karst terrain: the example of Dougherty County, Georgia. In: Johnson AI (ed) Proc of IAH Conference, Venice, 1984 IAHS Publication No. 151, Institute of Hydrology (Wallingford), pp 595–606

  • Charsley TJ, Rathbone PA, Lowe DJ (1990) Nottingham—a geological background for planning and development. British Geological Survey Technical report WA/90/1, 82 pp

  • Cooper AH (1989) Airborne multispectral scanning of subsidence caused by Permian gypsum dissolution at Ripon, North Yorkshire. Q J eng geol 22:219–229

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cooper AH (1998) Subsidence hazards caused by the dissolution of Permian gypsum in England: geology, investigation and remediation. In: Maund JG, Eddleston M (eds) Geohazards in engineering geology. Geol Soc Lond Engineer Geol Spec Pubn 15, Geological Society (London) pp 265–275

  • Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (DTLR) (2002) Planning Policy Guidance Note 14 Development on Unstable Land, Annex 2 Subsidence and Planning. DTLR (London) 56 pp

  • Department of the Environment (1990) Development on unstable land. Planning Policy Guidance Note 14. HMSO (London) 25 pp

  • Deveughèle M, Usseglio Polatera JM (1979) Cartographie des zones exposées aux risques lies aux dissolutions de la fraction gypseuse du marno-calcaire de Saint-Ouen dans les 19ème et 20ème arrondissements de la ville de Paris. Bull IAEG No 19, pp 121–125

  • Doornkamp JC, Lee EM (1992) Geology and land use planning: St Helens, Merseyside-summary report. Rendel Geotechnics (Birmingham) v+ 64 pp

  • Durville JL, Hameroux M (1995) Les risques dus aux carrières souterraines abandonées et leur prevention—strategies et methodes de prevention. Bull IAEG No 51, pp 113–128

    Google Scholar 

  • Edmonds, CN (2001a) Predicting natural cavities in the chalk In: Griffiths JS (ed) Land surface evaluation for engineering practice. Geol Soc London Engineer Geol Spec Pubn 18 Geological Society (London) pp 29–38

  • Edmonds, CN (2001b) Subsidence hazard in Berkshire in areas underlain by chalk karst. In: Griffiths JS (ed) Land surface evaluation for engineering practice. Geol Soc Lond Engineer Geol Spec Pubn 18, Geological Society (London) pp 97–106

  • Edmonds CN, Green CP, Higginbottom IE (1987) Subsidence hazard prediction for limestone terrains, as applied to the English Cretaceous chalk. In: Culshaw MG, Bell FG, Cripps JC, O’Hara M (eds) Planning and engineering geology. Geol Soc Engineer Geol Spec Pubn 4, Geological Society (London) pp 290–291

  • Ford DC (1964) Origin of closed depressions in the central Mendip Hills: abstracts of papers, 20th International Geographic Congress, London, pp 105–106

  • Forth RA, Butcher D, Senior R (1999) Hazard mapping of karst along the coast of the Algarve, Portugal. Eng Geol 52:67–74

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Freeman Fox Ltd (1988) Methods of compilation, storage and retrieval of data on disused mine openings and workings. HMSO (London) 18 + 58 + 32 pp

  • Harrison M, Forster A (2003) The application of GIS modeling to the assessment of geological hazard potential a National scale. In: Proc Ann Conf Inter Assoc Mathem Geol, September 7–13, 2003 (Portsmouth) 6 pp

  • Howard Humphreys and Partners (1987) Environmental geology study in the Bristol area. Howard Humphreys and Partners (Leatherhead) 99 pp and two volumes of maps

  • Howard Humphreys and Partners (1993) Subsidence in Norwich HMSO (London) 112 pp

  • Lee EM, Sakalas CF (2001) Subsidence map development in an area of abandoned salt mines. In: Griffiths JS (ed) Land surface evaluation for engineering practice. Spec Pub 18 Geol Soc (London) 29–38

  • Ogden AE, Reger JP (1977) Morphometric analysis of dolines for predicting ground subsidence, Monroe County, West Virginia In: Dilamarter RR Csallany SC (eds) Hydrogeologic problems in Karst Regions Western Kentucky University Press 130–139

  • Ove Arup, Partners (1983) Limestone mines in the West Midlands—a legacy of mines long abandoned. Department of the Environment (London) 24 pp

  • Ove Arup, Partners (1995a) Islwyn shallow mining—development advice maps. Ove Arup and Partners (Cardiff)

  • Ove Arup, Partners (1995b) Islwyn shallow mining—final report. Planning procedures and guidelines for the use of development advice maps. Ove Arup and Partners (Cardiff) 35 + 11 pp

  • Owen JF, Walsby JC (1989) A register of Nottingham’s caves. Brit Geol Survey Technical report WA/89/27, vol 3

  • Price DG (1971) Engineering geology in the urban environment. Q J Eng Geol 4:191–208

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ragozin AI, Yolkin VA (2003) Individual karst risk qualitative assessment at a regional level (an example of Tartar Republic) In: Proc Ann Conf Inter Assoc Mathem Geol September 7–12, 2003 (Portsmouth) 6 pp

  • Roger Tym, Partners (1985) Land use affected by limestone mining in the Black Country. Final report Vol 1 R Tym and Partners (London) 35 pp + plans

  • Scott MJ, Statham I (1998) Development advice maps: mining subsidence. In: Maund JG, Eddleston M (eds) Geohazards in engineering geology. Geol Soc Lond Engineer Geol Spec Pubn 15, Geological Society (London) pp 391–400

  • Simón-Gómez JL, Soriano MA (2002) Actual and potential doline subsidence hazard mapping: case study in the Ebro Basin, Spain In: Bobrowsky PT (ed) Geoenvironmental mapping: methods, theory and practice AA Balkema (Lisse), pp 649–666

  • Smith A, Ellison RA (1999) Applied geology maps for planning and development—a review of examples for England and Wales 1983 to 1996 Quart J Eng Geol 32 (supplement) S1–S44

    Google Scholar 

  • Statham I, Treharne G (1991) Subsidence due to abandoned mining in the South Wales Coalfield, UK: causes, mechanisms and environmental risk assessment. In: Land subsidence IAHS Publication No 200 143–152

  • Thompson A, Hine PD, Greig JR, Peach DW (1996) Assessment of gypsum subsidence arising from dissolution (with special reference to Ripon, North Yorkshire). Symonds Travers Morgan (East Grinstead) 95 pp

  • Thompson A, Hine P, Peach D, Frost L, Brook D (1998) Subsidence hazard assessment as a basis for planning guidance in Ripon. In: Maund JG, Eddleston M (eds) Geohazards in engineering geology. Geol Soc Lond Engineer Geol Spec Pubn 15, Geological Society (London) pp 415–426

  • Tolmachev VV, Pidyashenko SE, Balashova TA (1999) The system of antikarst protection on railways of Russia. In: Beck BB, Pettit AJ, Herring JG (eds) Hydrogeology and engineering geology of sinkholes and karst. Balkema (Rotterdam) pp 423–429

  • Veni G (1987) Fracture permeability: implications for sinkhole development and their environmental assessment In: Beck BF (ed) Proc 2nd multidisciplinary conference on sinkholes and the environmental impacts of karst (Orlando, Florida) pp 101–108

  • Waltham AC (1992) Sandstone caves of Nottingham. Mercian Geol 13(1):1–32

    Google Scholar 

  • Waltham AC (1993) Crown hole development in the sandstone caves of Nottingham. Q J geol Soc Lond 26(4):243–252

    Google Scholar 

  • Waters CN, Northmore K, Prince G, Marker BR (1996) Geological background to planning and development in the City of Bradford Metropolitan District. BGS Technical Report WA/96/1 vol 2, A technical guide to ground conditions. Brit Geol Survey (Keyworth) 126 pp

Download references

Acknowledgments

Thanks are due to Niek Rengers (ITC) and Alan Forster (BGS) for useful comments on an earlier draft of this paper and Martin Culshaw (University of Nottingham and past Chairman of Commission No. 1) for encouragement of the work; to authors and publishers that gave permission for reproduction of the figures; and to Dr David Brook who inspired the UK research initiative and planning guidance on unstable land. BGS kindly prepared the figures.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 40 Kingsdown Avenue, London, W13 9PT, United Kingdom

    Brian R. Marker

Authors
  1. Brian R. Marker
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Brian R. Marker.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Marker, B.R. Review of approaches to mapping of hazards arising from subsidence into cavities. Bull Eng Geol Environ 69, 159–183 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-010-0277-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-010-0277-z

Keywords

Mots clés

Search

Navigation