Rapid urban land uplift enhanced by crustal faults during groundwater recovery

Abstract Urban land subsidence driven by groundwater extraction is widespread, but the processes governing how groundwater recovery translates into spatially variable surface uplift remain poorly understood. We use satellite geodesy and multi-decadal groundwater observations to measure vertical land motion in Greater Osaka, Japan, where aquifers are intersected by a dense network of crustal faults. We observe widespread surface uplift at rates up to 12 mm/year, organized into distinct domains separated by sharp boundaries. Uplift rates vary abruptly across domain boundaries, which coincide with mapped faults. Where no faults are mapped, abrupt spatial changes in uplift rate suggest the presence of previously unrecognized buried faults. Uplift rates are positively correlated with groundwater-level rise in wells screened at depths up to 600 m, while deformation modelling indicates dominant uplift sources are shallower than 500 m. Our analysis suggests crustal faults act as hydraulic barriers to lateral groundwater flow, localising vertical land motion during aquifer recovery, with implications for groundwater management, infrastructure stability, and land-use planning in urban basins worldwide.