The analyses focusing on formation mechanism of Nanzhangzhuang ground fissure in Hengshui City, China

The paper focuses on the formation of Nanzhangzhuang ground fissure through emphatically analysing factors including the intersection fault dislocation, the deep ground-water over-exploitation together with the landform and lithology features. Features of the ground fissure are explained in detail after describing the geological setting in the study area. The paper also provides dynamic mode of the ground fissure formation via force analysis of the soil body unit at ground fissures. Conclusions can be drawn that the stress state of soil bodies changed with the activities of two intersection faults, namely Hengshui fault and Hubei fault. In addition, the stress fields control the development of ground fissure. The deep groundwater in Hengshui area dropped considerably in recent years, to be precise, the water elevation of deep groundwater dropped from -26 m to -94 m by 2010 at the centre of groundwater funnel. The over-exploitation of deep groundwater in Hengshui area enlarged the ground fissures. The data concerning shallow borehole show that the vertical lithology mainly consists of silt, silty clay and silty sandy soil, which all belong to the middle-compressed soil. The lateral extension of the soil bodies occur with pumping and tectonic creep, and the clay layers on both sides of the cracks can stay upright. Thus the ground fissure came visible.