Constraining the Magnitude and Uncertainty of Specific Yield for Use in the Water Table Fluctuation Method of Estimating Recharge

Crosbie, Russell; Doble, Rebecca; Turnadge, Chris; Taylor, Andrew

doi:10.1029/2019wr025285

Cited by 39 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 83 publications

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“…Detailed soil moisture measurements that would improve S y estimates and geochemical tracers, such as 3 H, may not always be available. Integrated surface and subsurface hydrogeologic models, which simulate coupled groundwater, surface water and soil water fluxes, might provide additional tools to estimate recharge rates that could be used to support the field and geochemical data (Scudeler et al, 2016;Daneshmand et al, 2019). With the increasing availability of soil moisture, evapotranspiration, rainfall, streamflow and groundwater elevation data, catchment water balance models (e.g., Wada et al, 2010;Moeck et al, 2020) might also represent viable methods of estimating recharge, especially over large areas.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using multiple methods to investigate the effects of land-use changes on groundwater recharge in a semi-arid area

Barua

Cartwright

Dresel

et al. 2021

Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci.

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Abstract. Understanding the applicability and uncertainties of methods for documenting recharge rates in semi-arid areas is important for assessing the successive effects of land-use changes and understanding groundwater systems. This study focuses on estimating groundwater recharge rates and understanding the impacts of land-use changes on recharge rates in a semi-arid area in southeast Australia. Two adjacent catchments were cleared ∼180 years ago following European settlement, and a eucalypt plantation forest was subsequently established ∼15 years ago in one of the catchments. Chloride mass balance analysis yields recharge rates of 0.2 to 61.6 mm yr−1 (typically up to 11.2 mm yr−1). The lower of these values probably represents recharge rates prior to land clearing, whereas the higher likely reflects recharge rates following the initial land clearing. The low pre-land-clearing recharge rates are consistent with the presence of old groundwater (residence times up to 24 700 years) and the moderate-to-low hydraulic conductivities (0.31 to 0.002 m d−1) of the aquifers. Recharge rates estimated from tritium activities and water table fluctuations reflect those following the initial land clearing. Recharge rates estimated using water table fluctuations (15 to 500 mm yr−1) are significantly higher than those estimated using tritium renewal rates (0.01 to 89 mm yr−1; typically <14.0 mm yr−1) and approach the long-term average annual rainfall (∼640 mm yr−1). These recharge rates are unrealistic given the estimated evapotranspiration rates of 500 to 600 mm yr−1 and the preservation of old groundwater in the catchments. It is likely that uncertainties in the specific yield results in the water table fluctuation method significantly overestimating recharge rates, and despite the land-use changes, the present-day recharge rates are relatively modest. These results are ultimately important for assessing the impacts of land-use changes and management of groundwater resources in semi-arid regions in Australia and elsewhere.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using multiple methods to investigate the effects of land-use changes on groundwater recharge in a semi-arid area

Barua

Cartwright

Dresel

et al. 2021

Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci.

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“…The delayed drainage should be considered when the assumption of instantaneous drainage cannot be achieved. Duke (1972) defined this as the ultimate specific yield, that is, only valid under the sufficiently deep water table depth (Crosbie et al, 2019). The results here demonstrate that the specific yield achieved using the SMC method was overestimated by 84.5% of groundwater recharge.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, Crosbie, Binning, and Kalma (2005) pointed out that water table increased by Lisse effect is not recharge, since the infiltrating has not yet reached the water table. In addition, the value of specific yield is hard to estimate precisely (Cuthbert et al, 2016), which can be affected by water table depth (Crosbie, Doble, Turnadge, & Taylor, 2019). Furthermore, the specific yield may not be the same between water table falling and rising processes (Fahle & Dietrich, 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A comparison of methods to estimate groundwater recharge from bare soil based on data observed by a large‐scale lysimeter

Zhang

Wang

Gong

et al. 2020

Hydrological Processes

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Effectively estimating groundwater recharge is critical to manage water resources, especially in arid and semi‐arid regions as impacted by intensive human activities and climate changes. Rare insights have been gained into groundwater recharge since direct observation is hard to carry out. Although several methods are currently available to estimate groundwater recharge, the estimated results may cover noticeable bias. The behaviours of different methods based on different conceptual frameworks and exhibiting different levels of complexity should be examined to estimate actual groundwater recharge. This study aims to assess the performance of four common methods to estimate groundwater recharge. For this end, large‐scale lysimeters equipped with soil water content sensors and water table sensors were set up at a research site established in Guanzhong Basin of China. The data achieved by 1‐year observation were employed to compare four estimation methods. As revealed from the results, the following findings are drawn. (a) Groundwater level fluctuation (GLF) method is simple, whereas its accuracy is determined by specific yield, and adopting a water balance method to estimate specific yield can considerably enhance the accuracy of GLF. (b) The calibrated numerical model can obtain the optimal result compared with the other methods, whereas long‐term observation data are required for parameter calibration. (c) In the water balance method, the maximum entropy production (MEP) model and a practical method (estimating evaporation between two rainfall events) were used to calculate evaporation. As indicated by the results, water balance method combined with MEP is capable of obtaining more reliable results of groundwater recharge compared with the practical method. (d) With an analytical model based on linearized Richards' equation, accurate results can be achieved. What is more, the analytical model only needs the measurement of soil moisture near the surface. The limitation of this method is that it is difficult to determine the maximal water flux. The mentioned findings are of critical implications to the management and sustainable development of groundwater.

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“…K and specific yield typically covary with soil texture; thus, during the matrix K portion of the sensitivity analysis, we covaried the two variables (Table ). Currently, there is a dearth of information on specific yield for soils (Crosbie et al, ). We used data from the most comprehensive study to link specific yield to soil types, Morris and Johnson (), which used the Ground Water Branch, U.S. Geological Survey soil classification system.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Filling the Void: The Effect of Stream Bank Soil Pipes on Transient Hyporheic Exchange During a Peak Flow Event

Lotts

Hester

2020

Water Resources Research

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The hyporheic zone is the ecotone between stream and river channel flow and groundwater that can process nutrients and improve water quality. Transient hyporheic zones occur in the riparian zone (bank storage or “lung model” exchange) during channel stage fluctuations. Recent studies show that soil pipes are widespread in stream banks and beneath floodplains, creating highly preferential flow between channel and riparian groundwater such that the traditional Darcy model of flow does not apply. We used MODFLOW with the conduit flow package to model a series of stream bank soil pipes and examined soil pipe density (number per m), length, diameter, height above baseflow water surface, connectivity, and matrix hydraulic conductivity on transient particle flow paths and total hyporheic exchange volume (i.e., bank storage) over the course of a peak flow (e.g., storm) event. We found that adding five soil pipes per meter more than doubled hyporheic volume. Soil pipe length was the most important control; adding one 1.5‐m‐long soil pipe caused a 73.4% increase in hyporheic volume. The effect of increasing soil pipe diameter on hyporheic volume leveled off at ~1 cm, as flow limitation switched from pipe flow to pipe‐matrix exchange. To validate our approach, we used the model to successfully reproduce trends from field studies. Our results highlight the need to consider soil pipes when modeling, monitoring, or managing bank storage, floodplain connectivity, or hyporheic exchange.

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Constraining the Magnitude and Uncertainty of Specific Yield for Use in the Water Table Fluctuation Method of Estimating Recharge

Cited by 39 publications

References 83 publications

Using multiple methods to investigate the effects of land-use changes on groundwater recharge in a semi-arid area

Using multiple methods to investigate the effects of land-use changes on groundwater recharge in a semi-arid area

A comparison of methods to estimate groundwater recharge from bare soil based on data observed by a large‐scale lysimeter

Filling the Void: The Effect of Stream Bank Soil Pipes on Transient Hyporheic Exchange During a Peak Flow Event

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