首页 | 本学科首页   官方微博 | 高级检索  
相似文献
 共查询到20条相似文献,搜索用时 890 毫秒
1.
Ziyong Sun  Xiang Long  Rui Ma 《水文研究》2016,30(9):1388-1402
There is considerable interest in naturalizing flow regime on managed rivers to slow the spread of saltcedar (Tamarix ramosissima) invasion in southwestern USA or to preserve riparian forests dominated by saltcedar and other species in northwestern China. However, little is known about the responses of established saltcedar in water sources to frequent intra‐annual fluctuation of water table resulting from this new, more dynamic flow regime. This study investigates how saltcedar at a riparian site in the middle reaches of the Heihe River, northwest China, responds in water sources use to intra‐annual water table fluctuations. Stable oxygen isotope was employed to determine accurate depth at which saltcedar obtains its water supply, and soil moisture monitoring was used to determine sources of plant‐available soil water. We found that the primary zone of water uptake by saltcedar were stable at 25–60 cm depth, but the water sources used by saltcedar switched between groundwater and soil moisture with the water table fluctuations. Saltcedar derived its water from groundwater when water table was at depth less than 60 cm but switched to soil moisture at 25–60 cm depth when water table declined. It is supposed that the well‐developed clay layer at 60–80 cm depth constrained lateral roots of saltcedar to the soil layers above 60 cm, while the fine‐textured soils at this site, which were periodically resaturated by rising groundwater before the stored soil moisture had become depleted, provided an important water reservoir for saltcedar when groundwater dropped below the primary zone of fine roots. The root distribution of saltcedar may also be related to local groundwater history. The quick decline in water table in the early 1980s when the riparian saltcedar had established may strand its roots in the shallow unsaturated zone. We suggested that raising the water table periodically instead of maintaining it invariably above the rooting depth could sustain desired facultative phreatophytes while maximizing water deliveries. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.  相似文献   

2.
The hydraulic conductivity (K) of many low permeability materials is strongly scale‐dependent. In raised mires and other types of peat deposit the effects of features such as abandoned infilled ditches, root holes and localized woody material, cause K to be heterogeneous and scale‐dependent. Despite this, field measurements are routinely made using auger hole (slug) tests at the scale of only a few tens of centimetres. Such measurements are locally valid, but where the regional subsurface movement of water through peat bogs is simulated using groundwater models, typically at the scale of hundreds of metres, they give rise to a systematic underestimate of flows and an overprediction of water table elevations. Until now, techniques to obtain values at a scale sufficiently large to include the effects of localized features of higher permeability have not been applied routinely. Research at Thorne Moor, a large raised mire, demonstrates that the K of peat varies over several orders of magnitude when measured at different scales, using a variety of techniques. Laboratory and auger hole tests cannot be relied upon to provide results that represent the hydraulic conductivity of large expanses of peatland. This has significant implications for the management and long‐term restoration of peatlands where both regional and local control of water levels is crucial. For groundwater models to be used successfully to plan such schemes, it is essential to apply the K values relevant to the scale of the simulation. This paper describes and tests novel techniques, using ditches, for the derivation of K at large scales which overcome many of the problems that have been identified with conventional techniques and are capable of producing estimates that are appropriate to the application of physically based regional flow models. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.  相似文献   

3.
Ecosystem services provided by depressional wetlands on the coastal plain of the Chesapeake Bay watershed (CBW) have been widely recognized and studied. However, wetland–groundwater interactions remain largely unknown in the CBW. The objective of this study was to examine the vertical interactions of depressional wetlands and groundwater with respect to different subsurface soil characteristics. This study examined two depressional wetlands with a low‐permeability and high‐permeability soil layer on the coastal plain of the CBW. The surface water level (SWL) and groundwater level (GWL) were monitored over 1 year from a well and piezometer at each site, respectively, and those data were used to examine the impacts of subsurface soil characteristics on wetland–groundwater interactions. A large difference between the SWL and GWL was observed at the wetland with a low‐permeability soil layer, although there was strong similarity between the SWL and GWL at the wetland with a high‐permeability soil layer. Our observations also identified a strong vertical hydraulic gradient between the SWL and GWL at the wetland with a high‐permeability soil layer relative to one with a low‐permeability soil layer. The hydroperiod (i.e., the total time of surface water inundation or saturation) of the wetland with a low‐permeability soil layer appeared to rely on groundwater less than the wetland with a high‐permeability soil layer. The findings showed that vertical wetland–groundwater interactions varied with subsurface soil characteristics on the coastal plain of the CBW. Therefore, subsurface soil characteristics should be carefully considered to anticipate the hydrologic behavior of wetlands in this region.  相似文献   

4.
Hydrological effects of groundwater abstraction near a Danish river valley have been assessed by integrated hydrological modelling. The study site contains groundwater‐dependent terrestrial ecosystems in terms of fen and spring habitats that are highly dependent on regional and local scale hydrology. Fens are rare and threatened worldwide due to pressures from agriculture, to lack of appropriate management and to altered catchment hydrology. A solid foundation for hydrological modelling was established based on intensive monitoring at the site, combined with full‐scale pumping tests in the area. A regional groundwater model was used to describe the dynamics in groundwater recharge and the large‐scale discharge to streams. A local grid refinement approach was then applied in a detailed assessment of damage in order to balance the computational effort and the need for a high spatial resolution. A considerable flow reduction in the natural spring was monitored during a full‐scale pumping test while no significant effects on the water table in the fen habitats were observed. A modelled abstraction scenario predicted a lowering of 2–3 cm in the centre of the main fen area during summer periods. The predicted change in water table conditions in the fen habitat is compared to the variability found in 35 Danish fens, and the ecological response is discussed based on statistical water‐level vegetation relations. The results provide a rare quantitative foundation for decision making in relation to management of groundwater‐dependent terrestrial ecosystems. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.  相似文献   

5.
Sulfate reducing conditions are widely observed in groundwater plumes associated with petroleum hydrocarbon releases. This leads to sulfate depletion in groundwater which can limit biodegradation of hydrocarbons (usually benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes [BTEX] compounds) and can therefore result in extended timeframes to achieve groundwater cleanup objectives by monitored natural attenuation. Under these conditions, sulfate addition to the subsurface can potentially enhance BTEX biodegradation and facilitate enhanced natural attenuation. However, a delivery approach that enables effective contact with the hydrocarbons and is able to sustain elevated and uniform sulfate concentrations in groundwater remains a key challenge. In this case study, sulfate addition to a groundwater plume containing predominantly benzene by land application of agricultural gypsum and Epsom salt is described. Over 4 years of groundwater monitoring data from key wells subjected to pilot‐scale and site‐wide land application events are presented. These are compared to data from pilot testing employing liquid Epsom salt injections as an alternate sulfate delivery approach. Sulfate land application, sulfate retention within the vadose zone, and periodic infiltration following ongoing precipitation events resulted in elevated sulfate concentrations (>150 mg/L) in groundwater that were sustained over 12 months between application events and stimulated benzene biodegradation as indicated by declines in dissolved benzene concentration, and compound‐specific isotope analysis data for carbon in benzene. Long‐term groundwater benzene concentration reductions were achieved in spite of periodic rebounds resulting from water table fluctuations across the smear zone. Land application of gypsum is a potentially cost‐effective sulfate delivery approach at sites with open, unpaved surfaces, relatively permeable geology, and shallow hydrocarbon impacts. However, more research is needed to understand the fate and persistence of sulfate and to improve the likelihood of success and effectiveness of this delivery approach.  相似文献   

6.
The role of bedrock groundwater in rainfall–runoff processes is poorly understood. Hydrometric, tracer and subsurface water potential observations were conducted to study the role of bedrock groundwater and subsurface flow in the rainfall–runoff process in a small headwater catchment in Shiranui, Kumamoto prefecture, south‐west Japan. The catchment bedrock consists of a strongly weathered, fractured andesite layer and a relatively fresh continuous layer. Major chemical constituents and stable isotopic ratios of δ18O and δD were analysed for spring water, rainwater, soil water and bedrock groundwater. Temporal and spatial variation in SiO2 showed that stream flow under the base flow condition was maintained by bedrock groundwater. Time series of three components of the rainstorm hydrograph (rainwater, soil water and bedrock groundwater) separated by end member mixing analysis showed that each component fluctuated during rainstorm, and their patterns and magnitudes differed between events. During a typical mid‐magnitude storm event, a delayed secondary runoff peak with 1·0 l s−1 was caused by increase in the bedrock groundwater component, whereas during a large rainstorm event the bedrock groundwater component increased to ≈ 2·5 l s−1. This research shows that the contribution of bedrock groundwater and soil water depends strongly on the location of the groundwater table, i.e. whether or not it rises above the soil–bedrock interface. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.  相似文献   

7.
The efficacy and feasibility of using zerovalent zinc (ZVZ) to treat 1,2,3‐trichloropropane (TCP)‐contaminated groundwater was assessed in laboratory and field experiments. In the first portion of the study, the reactivity of commercially available granular ZVZ toward TCP was measured in bench‐scale batch‐reactor and column experiments. These results were used to design columns for on‐site pilot‐scale treatment of contaminated groundwater at a site in Southern California. Two of the ZVZ materials tested were found to produce relatively high rates of TCP degradation as well as predictable behavior when scaling from bench‐scale to field testing. In addition, there was little decrease in the rates of TCP degradation over the duration of field testing. Finally, no secondary impacts to water quality were identified. The results suggest that ZVZ may be an effective and feasible material for use in engineered treatment systems, perhaps including permeable reactive barriers.  相似文献   

8.
The reliable characterization of subsurface contamination of spatially extended contaminated sites is a challenging task, especially with an unknown history of land use. Conventional technologies often fail due to temporal and financial constraints and thus hinder the redevelopment of abandoned areas in particular. Here we compare two site screening techniques that can be applied quickly at relatively low cost, namely Direct Push (DP)‐based groundwater sampling and tree core sampling. The effectiveness of both methods is compared for a rural megasite contaminated with chlorinated hydrocarbons. Unexpected pollution hot spots could be identified using both of these methods, while tree coring even enabled the delineation of the contaminant plume flowing into an adjacent wetland inaccessible for DP units. Both methods showed a good agreement in revealing the spatial pattern of the contamination. The correlation between groundwater concentrations and equivalent concentrations in wood was linear and highly significant for trichloroethene. Correlation was less obvious for its metabolite cis‐dichloroethene, but still significant. As outcome of our study we recommend tree coring and for initial screening in combination with a DP sampling to retrieve quantitative data on groundwater pollutants in order to assess the contamination situation of a non‐ or only partly investigated site. The subsequent placement of monitoring wells for long‐term monitoring of contamination levels is recommended. A combination of methods would achieve more relevant information at comparable or possibly even lower efforts in comparison to a conventional site investigation.  相似文献   

9.
There has been a great deal of research interest regarding changes in flow path/runoff source with increases in catchment area. However, there have been very few quantitative studies taking subscale variability and convergence of flow path/runoff source into account, especially in relation to headwater catchments. This study was performed to elucidate how the contributions and discharge rates of subsurface water (water in the soil layer) and groundwater (water in fractured bedrock) aggregate and change with catchment area increase, and to elucidate whether the spatial variability of the discharge rate of groundwater determines the spatial variability of stream discharge or groundwater contribution. The study area was a 5‐km2 forested headwater catchment in Japan. We measured stream discharge at 113 points and water chemistry at 159 points under base flow conditions. End‐member mixing analysis was used to separate stream water into subsurface water and groundwater. The contributions of both subsurface water and groundwater had large variability below 1 km2. The contribution of subsurface water decreased markedly, while that of groundwater increased markedly, with increases in catchment area. The specific discharge of subsurface water showed a large degree of variability and decreased with catchment area below 0.1 km2, becoming almost constant above 0.1 km2. The specific discharge of groundwater showed large variability below 1 km2 and increased with catchment area. These results indicated that the variabilities of stream discharge and groundwater contribution corresponded well with the variability of the discharge rate of groundwater. However, below 0.1 km2, it was necessary to consider variations in the discharge rates of both subsurface water and groundwater. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.  相似文献   

10.
Shallow groundwater plays a key role in agro‐hydrological processes of arid areas. Groundwater often supplies a necessary part of the water requirement of crops and surrounding native vegetation, such as groundwater‐dependent ecosystems. However, the impact of water‐saving irrigation on cropland water balance, such as the contribution of shallow groundwater to field evapotranspiration, requires further investigation. Increased understanding of quantitative evaluation of field‐scale water productivity under different irrigation methods aids policy and decision‐making. In this study, high‐resolution water table depth and soil water content in field maize were monitored under conditions of flood irrigation (FI) and drip irrigation (DI), respectively. Groundwater evapotranspiration (ETg) was estimated by the combination of the water table fluctuation method and an empirical groundwater–soil–atmosphere continuum model. The results indicate that daily ETg at different growth stages varies under the two irrigation methods. Between two consecutive irrigation events of the FI site, daily ETg rate increases from zero to greater than that of the DI site. Maize under DI steadily consumes more groundwater than FI, accounting for 16.4% and 14.5% of ETa, respectively. Overall, FI recharges groundwater, whereas DI extracts water from shallow groundwater. The yield under DI increases compared with that under FI, with less ETa (526 mm) compared with FI (578 mm), and irrigation water productivity improves from 3.51 kg m?3 (FI) to 4.58 kg m?3 (DI) through reducing deep drainage and soil evaporation by DI. These results highlight the critical role of irrigation method and groundwater on crop water consumption and productivity. This study provides important information to aid the development of agricultural irrigation schemes in arid areas with shallow groundwater.  相似文献   

11.
Regional groundwater flow in high mountainous terrain is governed by a multitude of factors such as geology, topography, recharge conditions, structural elements such as fracturation and regional fault zones as well as man‐made underground structures. By means of a numerical groundwater flow model, we consider the impact of deep underground tunnels and of an idealized major fault zone on the groundwater flow systems within the fractured Rotondo granite. The position of the free groundwater table as response to the above subsurface structures and, in particular, with regard to the influence of spatial distributed groundwater recharge rates is addressed. The model results show significant unsaturated zones below the mountain ridges in the study area with a thickness of up to several hundred metres. The subsurface galleries are shown to have a strong effect on the head distribution in the model domain, causing locally a reversal of natural head gradients. With respect to the position of the catchment areas to the tunnel and the corresponding type of recharge source for the tunnel inflows (i.e. glaciers or recent precipitation), as well as water table elevation, the influence of spatial distributed recharge rates is compared to uniform recharge rates. Water table elevations below the well exposed high‐relief mountain ridges are observed to be more sensitive to changes in groundwater recharge rates and permeability than below ridges with less topographic relief. In the conceptual framework of the numerical simulations, the model fault zone has less influence on the groundwater table position, but more importantly acts as fast flow path for recharge from glaciated areas towards the subsurface galleries. This is in agreement with a previous study, where the imprint of glacial recharge was observed in the environmental isotope composition of groundwater sampled in the subsurface galleries. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.  相似文献   

12.
Integrated hydrologic models characterize catchment responses by coupling the subsurface flow with land surface processes. One of the major areas of uncertainty in such models is the specification of the initial condition and its influence on subsequent simulations. A key challenge in model initialization is that it requires spatially distributed information on model states, groundwater levels and soil moisture, even when such data are not routinely available. Here, the impact of uncertainty in initial condition was explored across a 208 km2 catchment in Denmark using the ParFlow.CLM model. The initialization impact was assessed under two meteorological conditions (wet vs dry) using five depth to water table and soil moisture distributions obtained from various equilibrium states (thermal, root zone, discharge, saturated and unsaturated zone equilibrium) during the model spin‐up. Each of these equilibrium states correspond to varying computation times to achieve stability in a particular aspect of the system state. Results identified particular sensitivity in modelled recharge and stream flow to the different initializations, but reduced sensitivity in modelled energy fluxes. Analysis also suggests that to simulate a year that is wetter than the spin‐up period, an initialization based on discharge equilibrium is adequate to capture the direction and magnitude of surface water–groundwater exchanges. For a drier or hydrologically similar year to the spin‐up period, an initialization based on groundwater equilibrium is required. Variability of monthly subsurface storage changes and discharge bias at the scale of a hydrological event show that the initialization impacts do not diminish as the simulations progress, highlighting the importance of robust and accurate initialization in capturing surface water–groundwater dynamics. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.  相似文献   

13.
This paper presents a full‐scale thermal remediation of a brownfields site near San Francisco, California. In Situ Thermal Desorption (ISTD) was used for treatment of chlorinated solvents in a tight clay below the water table. The site had contaminants in concentrations indicating that a tetrachloroethene (PCE)‐rich DNAPL was present. A target volume of 5097 m3 of subsurface material to a depth of 6.2 m was treated for a period of 110 d of heating. Energy was delivered through 126 thermal conduction heater borings, and vapors were extracted from a combination of vertical and horizontal vacuum wells. Approximately 2540 kg of contaminants were recovered in the extracted vapors by the end of treatment. The PCE concentration in the clay was reduced from as high as 2700 mg/kg to an average concentration of 0.012 mg/kg within 110 d of heating (a reduction of >99.999%). Similar effectiveness was documented for TCE, cis‐1,2‐DCE, and vinyl chloride. A total of 2.2 million kWh of electric power was used to heat the site. Approximately 45% of this energy was used to heat the subsurface to the target temperature. Another 53% was necessary to boil approximately 41% of the groundwater within the treatment zone, creating approximately 600 pore volumes of steam by the end of the 110‐d heating and treatment period. Steam generation thus occurred within the clay. Partitioning of the contaminants into the steam and its removal comprised the dominant remedial mechanism. The steam migrated laterally toward the ISTD heaters, where it encountered a small dry region adjacent to each of the heaters, which served as a preferential pathway allowing the steam to migrate upward along the heaters to the more permeable vadose zone. There the steam was captured by a system of vertical and horizontal vacuum extraction wells. This vapor removal strategy facilitated effective thermal treatment of the tight clays located below the water table. Features of a robust design are extension of the heaters at least 1.2 m deeper than the treatment depth, and the installation of shallow horizontal vapor collection wells which allow for establishment of pneumatic control.  相似文献   

14.
15.
Agricultural subsurface drainage waters containing nutrients (nitrate/phosphate) and pesticides are discharged into neighboring streams and lakes, frequently producing adverse environmental impacts on local, regional, and national scales. On‐site drainage water filter treatment systems can potentially prevent the release of agricultural contaminants into adjacent waterways. Zero valent iron (ZVI) and sulfur‐modified iron (SMI) are two types of promising filter materials that could be used within these treatment systems. Therefore, water treatment capabilities of three ZVI and three SMI filter materials were evaluated in the laboratory. Laboratory evaluation included saturated falling‐head hydraulic conductivity tests, contaminant removal batch tests, and saturated solute transport column experiments. The three ZVI and the three SMI filter materials, on average, all had a sufficient hydraulic conductivity greater than 1 × 10–3 cm/s. Batch test results showed a phosphate decrease of at least 94% for all tests conducted with the ZVI and SMI. Furthermore, the three SMI filter materials removed at least 86% of the batch test nitrate originally present, while batch tests for one of the ZVI filter materials exhibited an 88% decrease in the pesticide, atrazine. Saturated solute transport column experiments were carried on the best ZVI filter material, or the best SMI filter material, or both together, in order to better evaluate drainage water treatment effectiveness and efficiency. Results from these column tests additionally document the drainage water treatment ability of both ZVI and SMI to remove the phosphate, the ability of SMI to remove nitrate, and the ability of a select ZVI material to remove atrazine. Consequently, these findings support further investigation of ZVI and SMI subsurface drainage water treatment capabilities, particularly in regard to small‐ and large‐scale field tests.  相似文献   

16.
Detection of free-phase gas (FPG) in groundwater wells is critical for accurate assessment of dissolved gas concentrations and the occurrence of FPG in the subsurface, with consequent implications for understanding groundwater contamination and greenhouse gas emissions. However, identifying FPG is challenging during routine groundwater monitoring and there is poor agreement on the best approach to detect the occurrence of FPG in groundwater. In this study, laboratory experiments in a water column were designed to mimic nonflowing and flowing conditions in a groundwater well to evaluate how the presence of FPG affects water pressure and commonly used continuous field parameters. The laboratory results were extrapolated to interpret field data at an abandoned exploration well with episodic release of free-gas CO2. The FPG effect on water pressure varied between flowing and nonflowing wells, and depending on whether the FPG was above or below the sensor. Electrical conductivity values were decreased and/or behaved erratically when FPG was present in the water column. Findings from this study have shown that the combined measurement of water pressure, electrical conductivity, and total dissolved gas pressure can provide information about the occurrence of FPG in groundwater wells. Measurement of these parameters at different depths can also provide information about relative depths and amounts of FPG within the well water column. This approach can be used for long-term monitoring of groundwater gases, managing gas-locking in production wells with gassy groundwater, and measuring fugitive greenhouse gas emissions from groundwater wells.  相似文献   

17.
The potential for in situ biodegradation of tert‐butyl alcohol (TBA) by creation of aerobic conditions in the subsurface with recirculating well pairs was investigated in two field studies conducted at Vandenberg Air Force Base. In the first experiment, a single recirculating well pair with bromide tracer and oxygen amendment successfully delivered oxygen to the subsurface for 42 d. TBA concentrations were reduced from approximately 500 μg/L to below the detection limit within the treatment zone and the treated water was detected in a monitoring transect several meters downgradient. In the second experiment, a site‐calibrated model was used to design a double recirculating well pair with oxygen amendment, which successfully delivered oxygen to the subsurface for 291 d and also decreased TBA concentrations to below the detection limit. Methylibium petroleiphilum strain PM1, a known TBA‐degrading bacterium, was detectable at the study site but addition of oxygen had little impact on the already low baseline population densities, suggesting that there was not enough carbon within the groundwater plume to support significant new growth in the PM1 population. Given favorable hydrogeologic and geochemical conditions, the use of recirculating well pairs to introduce dissolved oxygen into the subsurface is a viable method to stimulate in situ biodegradation of TBA or other aerobically degradable aquifer contaminants.  相似文献   

18.
Given the importance of groundwater temperature to the biogeochemical health of aquatic ecosystems, a floodplain study was implemented to improve understanding of rural land use impacts on shallow groundwater (SGW) temperature. Study sites included a historic agricultural field (Ag) and bottomland hardwood forest (BHF), each with nine piezometers in an 80 × 80 m grid. Piezometers were equipped with pressure transducers to monitor SGW temperature and level at 30 min intervals during the 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014 water years. The study is one of the first to utilize long‐term, continuous, automated, in situ monitoring to investigate rural land use impacts on shallow groundwater temperatures. Average SGW temperature during the study period was 11.1 and 11.2 °C at the Ag and BHF sites, respectively. However, temperature range at the Ag site was 72% greater than at the BHF site. Results indicate a greater responsiveness to seasonal climate fluctuations in Ag site SGW temperature related to absence of forest canopy. Patterns of intra‐site groundwater temperature differences at both study sites illustrate the influence of stream–aquifer thermal conduction and occasional baseflow reversals. Considering similar surface soil temperature amplitudes and low average groundwater flow values at both sites, results suggest that contrasting rates of plant water use, groundwater recharge, and subsurface hydraulic conductivity are likely mechanistic causes for the observed SGW temperature differences. Results highlight the long‐term impact of forest removal on subsurface hydrology and groundwater temperature regime. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.  相似文献   

19.
This paper presents an analytical case study to explore one‐dimensional subsurface air pressure variation in a coastal three‐layered unsaturated zone. The upper layer is thin and much less permeable than the middle layer, and water table is located in the very permeable lower layer. An analytical solution was derived to describe the air pressure variation caused by tide‐induced water table fluctuations. We revisited the case study at Hong Kong International Airport conducted by Jiao and Li (2004) who used a two‐dimensional numerical model. The analytical prediction using the parameter values equivalent to the two‐dimensional numerical model agreed very well with the observed air pressure, indicating the validity and applicability of our one‐dimensional model in approximating the actual situation in this coastal zone with adequate accuracy. The analysis revealed that the asphalt pavement played an important role in causing air pressure fluctuations below it. Abnormally high air pressure can be caused beneath the surface pavement when the air permeability decreases due to rainfall infiltration, which may lead to heaving problems during rising tides.  相似文献   

20.
Large proportions of rainwater and snowmelt infiltrate into the subsurface before contributing to stream flow and stream water quality. Subsurface flow dynamics steer the transport and transformation of contaminants, carbon, weathering products and other biogeochemistry. The distribution of groundwater ages with depth is a key feature of these flow dynamics. Predicting these ages are a strong test of hypotheses about subsurface structures and time-varying processes. Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC)-based groundwater ages revealed an unexpected groundwater age stratification in a 0.47 km2 forested catchment called Svartberget in northern Sweden. An overall groundwater age stratification, representative for the Svartberget site, was derived by measuring CFCs from nine different wells with depths of 2–18 m close to the stream network. Immediately below the water table, CFC-based groundwater ages of already 30 years that increased with depth were found. Using complementary groundwater flow models, we could reproduce the observed groundwater age stratification and show that the 30 year lag in rejuvenation comes from return flow of groundwater at a subsurface discharge zone that evolves along the interface between two soil types. By comparing the observed groundwater age stratification with a simple analytical approximation, we show that the observed lag in rejuvenation can be a powerful indicator of the extent and structure of the subsurface discharge zone, while the vertical gradient of the age-depth-relationship can still be used as a proxy of the overall aquifer recharge even when sampled in the discharge zone. The single age stratification profile measured in the discharge zone, close to the aquifer outlet, can reveal the main structure of the groundwater flow pattern from recharge to discharge. This groundwater flow pattern provides information on the participation of groundwater in the hydrological cycle and indicates the lower boundary of hydrological connectivity.  相似文献   

设为首页 | 免责声明 | 关于勤云 | 加入收藏

Copyright©北京勤云科技发展有限公司  京ICP备09084417号