AZGS has published a set of guidelines for investigating land subsidence and earth fissure hazards in Arizona, that was compiled by the Arizona Land Subsidence Group. The AzLSG is an informal organization of geologists and engineers from industry, academia, and government who meet monthly to review and discuss technical issues. The report is online for free downloading or viewing.
The guidelines were developed over the past two years, drawn heavily from guidelines in Utah, California, and Nevada. From the introduction:
These guidelines provide professionals evaluating site-specific conditions in areas known or suspected to be subsiding with a standardized minimum level of investigation for land-subsidence and earth-fissure hazards. The guidelines do not include systematic descriptions of all available investigative techniques or topics, nor is it suggested that all techniques or topics are appropriate for every project. Variations in site conditions, project scope, economics, and level of acceptable risk may require that some topics be addressed in greater detail than is outlined in these guidelines. However, all elements of these guidelines should be considered in comprehensive land-subsidence and earth-fissure hazard investigations, and may be applied to any project site, large or small.Ref: Suggested Guidelines for Investigating Land Subsidence and Earth Fissure Hazards in Arizona, 2011, by the Arizona Land Subsidence Interest Group, Arizona Geological Survey Contributed Report CR-11-D, 10p.