Δελτίο της Ελληνικής Γεωλογικής Εταιρίας, 2010 Bulletin of the Geological Society of Greece, 2010

Πρακτικά 12ου Διεθνούς Συνεδρίου Proceedings of the 12th International Congress

Πάτρα, Μάιος 2010 Patras, May, 2010

LAND SUBSIDENCE DUE TO EXCESSIVE GROUND WATER

WITHDRAWAL. A CASE STUDY FROM STAVROS - FARSALA SITE,
WEST THESSALY GREECE

Rozos D.1, Sideri D.1, Loupasakis C.1 and Apostolidis E.2

1
National Technical University of Athens, School of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering,
Laboratory of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology, 9, Heroon Polytechniou Str 157 80, Zografou
(Athens) Greece, [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
2
Institute of Geology and Mineral Exploration, Engineering Geology Department, Sp Louis Str. 1, Olympic
Village, 136 77 Acharnae, Athens, Greece, [email protected]

Abstract
Land subsidence manifestation due to ground-water overexploitation in the Stavros – Farsala site
(eastern part of Western Thessaly Basin) has been noticed since 1990. Because of this overex-
ploitation, an excessive drawdown of the ground water level (20 to 40m) was noticed in the various
successive aquifers the last decades. The subsidence phenomena resulted to the formation of tensile
surface ruptures, which occurred since 2002, affecting roads and buildings.
The geological environment of the study area consists of terrestrial Pleistocene deposits containing
sands and gravels interbedded with clayey silt to silty clay horizons. These alternations of aquifers
(permeable coarse-grained deposits) with aquitards (impermeable to low permeability strata) cre-
ate a number of successive semi-confined to confined aquifer, initially artesian. This study examines
the geological and the hydrogeological conditions of the wider study area, aiming to clarify their re-
lationship with subsidence phenomena and to provide solutions for their suspension. Note that those
phenomena are expected to be more incensed during the next few years.
Key words: aquifers overexploitation, land subsidence, excessive groundwater drawdown, Thessaly
Greece.

1. Introduction
During the years, numerous studies have been conducted globally, in areas subjected to land subsi-
dence due to the overexploitation of aquifers (Kallergis, 1971; Andronopoulos et al., 1991; Liu et
al., 2004; Xue et al., 2005; Li et al., 2006; Serva & Brunamonte, 2007; Shi et al., 2007; Loupasakis
& Rozos, 2009). Land subsidence, triggered by excessive groundwater drawdown and resulted from
the compaction of the drained loose sedimentary formations, manifests with an increasing rate dur-
ing the years. The rising needs for water leads to the over pumping of ground reservoirs causing non
reversible damages to the aquifers. Thessaly plain, Kalochori village near Thessaloniki, Megalopo-
lis in Peloponnesus, Anargiri region on the southwest of Florina and Messara valley in Crete are
some of the regions affected by these phenomena.
The Stavros – Farsala study area is a part of West Thessaly basin. Thessaly basin is lowland in Cen-
tral Greece, with an extent of 4,520 km2, mainly drained by Pinios River. Thessaly basin is subdivided,

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Fig. 1: Simplified geological map of Stavros – Farsala wider area. The locations of the water wells used for
piezometric measurements are also presented.

by a group of hills, in two subbasins, the westerner and the Eastern. Stavros-Farsala study site is lo-
cated in the eastern part of the western subbasin. These subbasins are two main individual hydrogeo-
logical units, developing high potential aquifers. The overexploitation of these aquifers led to the
manifestation of extended damages due to land subsidence phenomena. This paper aims to presents the
intenseness of those phenomena and to correlate them with the ground water withdrawal.

2. Geological setting
According to the geological map of Greece (IGME, 1969) and the field mapping conducted during
the study, Mesozoic Alpine formations outcrop in the margins of the study area, while, post alpine
deposits are presented in the lowland of the basin (Fig. 1). The Mesozoic Alpine formations belong
to the Pelagonian (Subpelagonian) geotectonic zone and they constitute the bedrock of Quaternary
deposits of Stavros – Farsala area. These formations consist of Schist–chert formation, Ophiolites,
Limestones and Flysch sediments (Mariolakos et al., 2001; Rozos & Tzitziras, 2002).
The post-alpine deposits, some of which are related with the subsidence phenomena, include:
• Neogene deposits: Fluvial and lacustrine formations, consisting of red clayey silts and cohe-
siveless clayey sands with scattered gravels and pebbles of various origin and semi coherent

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Fig. 2: Ground water table fluctuations in relation to the time in Pz46, Pz6, LB117, and 445YEB water wells.

conglomerates. The lacustrine deposits include friable gray to light gray marls in layers with
a thickness of 5-20 cm, along with intercalations at places of sandstones and conglomerates
(Mariolakos et al., 2001).
• Pleistocene deposits: Terrestrial formations of clayey silts, sandy silts, sandy clays and sands,
with grits and gravels. These deposits appear extensive surface development at Farsala - Karditsa
– Trikala basin, and gain considerable thicknesses even near the margins of that basin. Because
of their lithology, they develop high potential aquifers that undergo intensive exploitation.
(Rozos & Tzitziras, 2002).
• Holocene deposits: Alluvial deposits consisting of clays to sandy clays fluvial deposits of
variant thickness, depending on their origin, the paleo relief, but also on the paleo climatic
conditions.

3. Hydrogeological conditions
The quaternary deposits contain the main aquifers of the wider study area. The aquifers constitute
a system of unconfined shallow aquifers, extending in the upper layers, and successive confined -
artesian aquifers developing in the dipper permeable layers (Marinos et al, 1995; Marinos et al,
1997). This system besides the percolated surface water is also supplied by water through the lat-
eral infiltration from the karstic aquifers of the alpine carbonate formations, outcropping in the mar-
gins of the basin. In general, the richest aquifers are developed in the western subbasin of Thessaly
plain, due to their rich supply both from the big infiltrating part of the surface runoff and the lateral
infiltration. The exploitable water potential of the above described system is about 400x106 m3.
In order to study the ground water fluctuation in Stavros – Farsala region, thirteen (13) water wells were
monitored from 1972 to 2007. The piezometric level monitoring data proved that during the years a
sufficient drawdown of the ground water level takes place, reaching up to values of 67m (Fig. 2). It ap-
pears that even if a small recharge of aquifers takes place every year during the rainfall period, the
final tendency is a stable drawdown. The mean piezometric level drawdown exceeds the 40 m and the
mean annual drawdown rate was estimated to be 60 cm/year. It is noticeable that the changes of the
ground water level were not caused by a corresponding reduction of the mean annual rainfalls. Ac-
cording to the meteorological data form three local stations, namely Farsala, Domokos and Myra, the
mean annual rainfalls were nearly stable during the last thirty years, with a small exception during the
period 1977 to 1984 (Fig. 3).

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Fig. 3: Mean annual rainfall fluctuation (data from Farsala and Domokos stations of the National Meteoro-
logical Service, and Myra station of the Ministry of Agriculture).

4. Surface subsidence ruptures in Stavros – Farsala site

In the eastern part of Thessaly basin the land subsidences phenomena occurred for the first time in
1996 (Soulios, 1997; Soulios, 1980). With a time delay, in Farsala site, west Thessaly, these phe-
nomena, with the form of surface ruptures, were firstly manifested in 2002. The overexploitation of
the ground water resulted to the activation of the subsidence mechanism in the discharged aquifers
and subsequently led to the manifestation of the accompanying phenomena on the surface, apart
from the land depression.
Therefore, along the margins of the basin were the bedrock outcrops and generally in areas were the
thickness of the deposits is small, fractures of the ground occur, as a result of the tensile forces ac-
tion. On the contrary, in the parts of the basin with thick deposits the compaction of the formations
can become noticeable by the extraction of the water well pipes from the ground.
Farsala city is built partly on the bedrock Alpine formations and partly on the Pleistocene deposits.
The variations on the geotechnical behaviour of the foundation formations lead to the manifestation
of numerous tensile fractures, in several sections of the town. Precisely, in the centre of the town,
an area extending 50 m x 360 m (Fig. 4) was intensively damaged. The road pavements present mul-
tiple fractures, redisplayed afterwards any repair works. Also, several buildings, intersected by the
ruptures, were intensively damaged requiring expensive reconstruction works. Small ground ruptures
have been also presented in the northern part of the town in an area covering 180 m × 200 m. Also,
beyond the south western limits of the town and at the west of the railway line, two more extensive
ruptures were observed with total length 1,000 m and 2,500 m respectively. The northern one has a
mean azimuth of about 100° and shows a vertical displacement at a rate of 20 to 50 cm. Respectively,
the southern rapture, with a mean azimuth of about 110°, presents a vertical displacement of 15 to

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Fig. 4: Satellite pictures (from Google Earth) pointing the location of the surface raptures along Farsala town.
Pictures FA2, FA3 and FA9 show roads and buildings damaged by the surface raptures.

Fig. 5: Satellite pictures (from Google Earth) pointing the location of the surface raptures along Stavros town.
Pictures ST31a, ST37 and ST38 present roads damaged by the surface raptures.

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Fig. 6: Ground water table fluctuations with time in Farsala site (Pz46 borehole). The exhaustion of the first
two aquifers is obvious.

150 cm (Apostolidis and Georgiou, 2007).

In Stavros small town, the main ground rupture was found westwards the railway line. This tensile
rupture has a total length of about 2,100 m, an azimuth of 105° and a vertical displacement at a rate
of 60 cm (Fig. 5). The trace of the rapture affects road pavements and numerous buildings (Apos-
tolidis and Georgiou, 2007). The buildings founded along the trace of the ruptures present several
damages, such as cracks in the stonework, distortions in doors, windows, stockyards and pavements.
Also, several ground ruptures are located at the south of the town, intersecting cultivated areas.

5. Correlation of land subsidences with overexploitation of ground water

In order to correlate the land subsidences phenomena in the wider study area of Stavros - Farsala with
the overexploitation of the aquifers, the loggings of water wells were evaluated. According to log-
gings from Farsala region (water well PZ6), the first aquifer is located at a depth of 10.3 m to 14.8
m, and consists of sand and gravel. The second aquifer consists of conglomerates and is located at
depth 33.3 m, with a mean thickness 5.2 m. Respectively in Stavros site, the logging of water well
D34 revealed that the first unconfined aquifer starts from the surface up to a depth of 2.6 m. The sec-
ond confined aquifer is located at a depth from 5.6 m to 8.7 m, while a third aquifer, consisting of
quaternary deposits, appears from 13.3 m to 15.8 m.
The diagram of Figure 6 correlates the water tables fluctuations in respect to time in Farsala site. It
reveals that from 1984 until 2005 the ground water level was dramatically decreased. The first aquifer
was completely drained, at September 1991, as the ground water level reached the depth of 15.82
m, and the second one at September 2005, as the water level reached the 38.5 m in depth. Respec-
tively, in the case of Stavros site, the first and second aquifers were drained in September 1976 (Fig.
6). The drawdown of the ground water level kept on going until September 1978 (depth of ground
water level 15.45m). Finally, at September 2001, with only a few recharges the ground water level
reached the depth of 22.15m and all three aquifers were drained. Τhe thorough examination of the
data referring to ground water level and rainfall reveals that the mean annual drawdown is roughly
constant for all water wells in the study area with a value of 60 cm/year.
From the above discussion it is obvious that the biggest part of the aquifers in Thessaly plain is

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Fig. 7: Ground water table fluctuations with time in Stavros site (D34 borehole). The exhaustion of the first three
aquifers is obvious.

under a status of over exploitation, following by a continuous lowering of the ground water level year
by year. What differs locally is the intension of overexploitation and the time of the beginning of the
ground water table lowering.

6. Conclusions-Results
The majority of the aquifers in Thessaly plain are under a regime of overexploitation, resulting in a
systematic drawdown of the ground water level. In Farsala – Stavros subplain the consistent over-
exploitation led to the complete draining of the overlay shallow unconfined aquifer and the pro-
gressive drawdown of the successive confined - artesian aquifers. This phenomenon resulted to the
compaction of the compressible intercalated clayey horizons, and the manifestation of intensive land
subsidence since 2002.
Land subsidence phenomena become visible on the margins of the basin, with the form of surface
ruptures that cause failures in residences and other buildings but also in the street pavements. The
geotechnical and hydrogeological parameters of deformed formations contribute to the mechanism
of subsidences manifestation. The subsidence deformations, usually take place in an area with al-
ternations of impermeable to semi-permeable compressed formations, such as silty clays to clayey
silts, with permeable ones, like sandy to silty sandy horizons.
Because of the increasing need for water, especially for irrigation purposes during the summer period,
the reactivation of existing ground ruptures and also the manifestation of new ones are considered to
be very possible. The rational exploitation of aquifers in combination with their artificial enrichment
will cause progressive increase of ground water level and suspension of the subsidence phenomenon.

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