consolidation
From Glossary of Meteorology
- An adjustment of soil particles, in response to compressive stress, that results in lower porosity.
- Any process that increases the firmness or coherence of a loose, soft, or liquid earth material, including cementation, compaction, and crystallization.
- Decrease of the volume of an aquifer due to pumping and lowering of the water pressure that leads to the transfer of stress from interstitial water to aquifer solids.