[iontheball]

I am not an expert in this area by any means but my common sense tells me that this story is false. Water added to soil causes the soil to expand not contract. When earth dries out it contracts. Witness a dry lake or stream bed. Cracks in basement walls can suddenly appear in a drought. My sense is they ought to be looking at the building up of pressures deep in the earths crust that may be signaling coming earth quakes or eruptions.

[Straight Vermonter]

Water has mass which presses down on the Earth’s surface. When that mass is removed it allows the land to rebound. This phenomenon is seen in reverse when new dams are built.

[Leo Carpathian]

Californica was just hit with 6 earthquake around Napa.

[onedoug]

I agree. This is BS.

[Sacajaweau]

Only certain soils expand. Sand compacts. It's the damn molecules.

Mountain rose 1/2". Big whoop. You need a an average over a long period of time to even come up with a theory.