Land Subsidence Due to Decomposition of Organic Soils
![Diagram illustrating how peat loss from reclamation results in land subsidence.](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/full_width/public/thumbnails/image/peat-loss.png?itok=0CJfoOm1)
Detailed Description
The dominant cause of land subsidence in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is decomposition of organic carbon in the peat soils. Under natural waterlogged conditions, the soil was anaerobic (oxygen-poor), and organic carbon accumulated faster than it could decompose. Drainage of peat soils for agriculture led to aerobic (oxygen-rich) conditions. Under aerobic conditions, microbial activity oxidizes the carbon in the peat soil quite rapidly. Most of the carbon loss from the soil occurs as a flux of carbon-dioxide gas to the atmosphere.
Sources/Usage
Public Domain.