The extensive groundwater pumping, in response to a historical drought that has dried out the grounds of California, has caused the the land to sink, the Department of Water Resources announced on August 19, 2015. The San Joaquin Valley is now sinking at an extremely fast pace, as the groundwater levels in the state have reached a record low.
Widespread drought across the state of California has caused the residents to increase the groundwater pumping. As there is no end in sight for the dry conditions, the extensive pumping is now threatening to sink the land. A new NASA's report, released by the Department of Water Resources claims the land in the San Joaquin Valley is currently sinking at a rate of 5 cm per month (about 2 inches per month).
Total subsidence in California's San Joaquin Valley, for the period May 3, 2014 to January 22, 2015, measured by Radarsat-2 Canada's satellite. Two large subsidence bowls are centered on Corcoran and south of El Nido. Image credit: Canadian Space Agency/NASA/JPL-Caltech
