Friday, October 26, 2018

NGS Partners with Maryland Geological Survey to Monitor Groundwater Wells

NGS is partnering with the Maryland Geological Survey to monitor the gradual settling or sudden sinking (subsidence) of the Earth's surface at groundwater pumping stations in southern Maryland. In many of the state's coastal communities, drinking water comes from groundwater pumped from aquifers of varying depths. Increased demand for drinking water, due to population growth, results in a gradual lowering of water levels in the aquifers. This sometimes leads to local land subsidence, which, in combination with changing sea levels, could place coastal communities at greater risk of flooding and coastal storm impacts. Recognizing and documenting vertical land movements are important parts of supporting resilience in coastal communities.

For more information, contact: Philippe Hensel