Choosing appropriate techniques for quantifying groundwater recharge |
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| Authors: | Bridget R Scanlon Richard W Healy Peter G Cook |
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| Institution: | (1) Bureau of Economic Geology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78713, USA,;(2) US Geological Survey, MS 413, Denver Federal Center, Denver, Colorado 80225, USA,;(3) CSIRO, Glen Osmond, South Australia 5064, Australia, |
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| Abstract: | Various techniques are available to quantify recharge; however, choosing appropriate techniques is often difficult. Important
considerations in choosing a technique include space/time scales, range, and reliability of recharge estimates based on different
techniques; other factors may limit the application of particular techniques. The goal of the recharge study is important
because it may dictate the required space/time scales of the recharge estimates. Typical study goals include water-resource
evaluation, which requires information on recharge over large spatial scales and on decadal time scales; and evaluation of
aquifer vulnerability to contamination, which requires detailed information on spatial variability and preferential flow.
The range of recharge rates that can be estimated using different approaches should be matched to expected recharge rates
at a site. The reliability of recharge estimates using different techniques is variable. Techniques based on surface-water
and unsaturated-zone data provide estimates of potential recharge, whereas those based on groundwater data generally provide
estimates of actual recharge. Uncertainties in each approach to estimating recharge underscore the need for application of
multiple techniques to increase reliability of recharge estimates.
Electronic Publication |
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| Keywords: | Groundwater recharge/water budget Numerical modeling Arid regions Unsaturated zone Groundwater age |
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