Joseph F. Poland

Joseph Fairfield Poland (1908–1991) was the founding expert in the hydrogeologic field of land subsidence. He committed 50 years of his life to understanding and bringing awareness to the issue. He pioneered invaluable research on the subject throughout his career at United States Geological Survey (USGS).

Biography

Education and early career Joseph Poland was born in Boston in 1908. After graduating he worked as a petroleum geologist until 1931 in Columbia for Tropical Oil Company. He directed the survey until his retirement in 1974 Additionally he was called upon as an expert witness for land subsidence that occurred in Wilmington Oil Field in California. The case was brought by the U.S. Navy and the City of Long Beach against the company for the damages caused by the land subsidence. He spent his career inspiring colleagues and students while generating awareness to the field. His life's work continues to be referenced and expanded upon. Shortly following his death, the 4th international symposium on land subsidence was dedicated to him.

Telephone pole photo Joseph F. Poland standing next to a power pole showing how high the land was in earlier years Poland received notoriety by effectively illustrating the effects of land subsidence that began in 1920 in the San Joaquin Valley. Land elevation loss from excessive ground water pumping is memorialized in the telephone pole photo taken in the San Joaquin Valley. The yellow sign he is holding reads, "San Joaquin Valley California BMS661 Subsidence 9M 1925-1977." This photo shows 28 feet of lost surface level altitude over a 52-year period. Markers are placed to show the previous ground level altitudes for the years 1925, 1955, and 1975.

Land subsidence Land subsidence is a global issue and has different causes. Some are natural, like earthquakes, and some are caused by humans. In the United States, land subsidence from over pumping has affected 45 states and accounts for changes in over 17,000 square miles of land which is an area almost 10 times the size of Glacier National Park in Montana. The process of compaction is reversible to a point. Water acts as a filler in the space between soil particles. As the water is depleted the soil is compacted from the water loss. In places like the telephone pole photo the process has passed the point of no return. The amount of compaction is measured with extensometers which are deep wells, ranging from 500 to 3,000 feet. Extensometers record the contraction and expansion of soils at specific depths at regular intervals.

Influence on hydrologic and geologic research Poland died on June 4, 1991, of Parkinson's disease in Sacramento, California. His work measuring subsidence continues to be built upon today by USGS.

According to University of Nevada Reno, subsidence has also been correlated with the rise of the Sierra Nevada mountain range and increased seismic activity of the San Andreas Fault.