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.

Ground fissure hazards frequently emerge in Hebei Plain, which damage roads, dams, buildings and farmland. The paper reviews and analyses current state of knowledge and research into ground fissure and geological environment in Hebei Plain. It is shown that the level of research and investigation is in some aspects insufficient. Knowledge is lacking in the use of corresponding geological concept models for specific ground fissures, three-dimensional numerical simulations of ground fissures caused by pumping through soil with pre-existing fractures, numerical simulations of ground fissures caused by dislocation in intersection faults, and the failure criterion and the constitutive relationship of rock and soil. Furthermore, we put forward geological concept models for ground fissure formation following the dislocation of a buried intersection fault, over-exploitation of groundwater and its compound origin mechanisms in order to provide scientific evidence for the quantitative analysis.

In order to study the distribution and evolution features of saline soil, the correlations between the groundwater depth, salinity and salinization of soil are examined through analyzing the hydrometeorological data and distribution maps of saline soil, groundwater depth and salinity in 1957 and 2005. The results show that the area of salinization has generally decreased. The area of salinization decreases with the increasing groundwater depth, and the dynamic evolution characteristics appeared between the groundwater depth and area of salinization. The area of heavy salinization is greatest when the groundwater salinity is > 5 g/L, the area of moderate salinization is greatest when the groundwater salinity is between 2-5 g/L, the area of light salinization is greatest when the groundwater salinity is 1-2 g/L and the area of non-salinization is greatest when the groundwater salinity is <1 g/L. The area of heavy salinization was characterized with groundwater depth <2.5 m and salinity >1.8 g/L. The area of non-salinization was characterized with groundwater depth >4.0 m and salinity 0.2-1.5 g/L.