Estimating groundwater recharge induced by engineering systems in a semiarid area (southeastern Spain)

Martín-Rosales, W.; Gisbert, J.; Pulido−Bosch, A.; Vallejos, Á.; Fernández-Cortés, Ángel

doi:10.1007/s00254-006-0541-5

Cited by 61 publications

(41 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…This is attributed to the rainfall patterns during the study period, as intense rainfall events were largely absent. However, such episodes are relatively frequent in dry Mediterranean environments and typically result in significant recharge episodes (Martín-Rosales et al 2007).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparative performance of soil water balance models in computing semi-arid aquifer recharge

Touhami

Andreu

Chirino

et al. 2013

Hydrological Sciences Journal

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Estimating groundwater recharge is essential to ensure the sustainable use of groundwater resources, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions. Soil water balances have been frequently advocated as valuable tools to estimate groundwater recharge. This article compares the performance of three soil water balance models (Hydrobal, Visual Balan v2.0 and Thornthwaite) in the Ventós-Castellar aquifer, Spain. The models were used to simulate wet and dry years. Recharge estimates were transformed into water table fluctuations by means of a lumped groundwater model. These, in turn, were calibrated against piezometric data. Overall, the Hydrobal model shows the best fit between observed and calculated levels (r 2 = 0.84), highlighting the role of soil moisture and vegetation in recharge processes.Key words groundwater recharge; soil water balance; lumped groundwater model; karst aquifers; semi-arid region; Alicante, Spain Performances comparées de modèles de bilan hydrique des sols pour le calcul de la recharge d'aquifères en conditions semi-arides Résumé L'estimation de la recharge des eaux souterraines est essentielle pour permettre l'utilisation durable des ressources en eaux souterraines, en particulier dans les régions arides et semi-arides. Les bilans hydriques des sols ont souvent été recommandés comme de précieux outils pour estimer la recharge des eaux souterraines. Cet article compare les performances des trois modèles de bilan hydrique du sol (Hydrobal, Visual Balan v2.0 et Thornthwaite) sur l'aquifère de Ventós-Castellar, en Espagne. Nous avons appliqué les modèles de simulation sur des années humides et sèches. Les estimations de la recharge ont été transformées en fluctuations du niveau de la nappe au moyen d'un modèle global d'eau souterraine. Ces fluctuations ont été calées à leur tour par rapport aux données piézométriques. Globalement, le modèle Hydrobal donne le meilleur ajustement entre les niveaux observés et calculés (r 2 = 0,84), mettant en évidence le rôle de l'humidité des sols et de la végétation dans les processus de recharge.Mots clefs recharge des eaux souterraines ; bilan hydrique du sol ; modèle global d'eau souterraine ; aquifères karstiques ; région semi-aride ; Alicante ; Espagne

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparative performance of soil water balance models in computing semi-arid aquifer recharge

Touhami

Andreu

Chirino

et al. 2013

Hydrological Sciences Journal

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“…These figures suggest that diffuse recharge in carbonated mountainous areas, widely developed in Mediterranean environments, may represent a significant proportion of the total potential recharge in wet and average rainfall years but a negligible proportion in dry periods (Alcalá et al, 2011;Martínez-Santos and Andreu, 2010). The low surface runoff rates imposed by the medium-high karstification degree of these systems and the relatively low evapotranspiration rates driven by the low vegetation cover mean that concentrated recharge plays an important role in the total water balance, especially during those dry periods in which short and intense rainfall events are common (Martín-Rosales et al, 2007). Large runoff events tend to infiltrate at footslopes of carbonated massifs in Quaternary formations (Martín-Rosales et al, 2007), thus increasing the uncertainty of potential recharge estimates if runoff was assumed previously as aquifer recharge.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The low surface runoff rates imposed by the medium-high karstification degree of these systems and the relatively low evapotranspiration rates driven by the low vegetation cover mean that concentrated recharge plays an important role in the total water balance, especially during those dry periods in which short and intense rainfall events are common (Martín-Rosales et al, 2007). Large runoff events tend to infiltrate at footslopes of carbonated massifs in Quaternary formations (Martín-Rosales et al, 2007), thus increasing the uncertainty of potential recharge estimates if runoff was assumed previously as aquifer recharge.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recharge to mountainous carbonated aquifers in SE Spain: Different approaches and new challenges

Andreu

Alcalá

Vallejos

et al. 2011

Journal of Arid Environments

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“…There is runoff only in the wettest periods (Frot et al 2008), thus increasing R C short downstream (Martín-Rosales et al 2007). Recharge catchment areas are reduced and well defined (Fig.…”

Section: Methods and Data Acquisitionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Diffuse and concentrated recharge evaluation using physical and tracer techniques: results from a semiarid carbonate massif aquifer in southeastern Spain

et al. 2010

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In the high-permeability, semiarid carbonate aquifer in the Sierra de Gádor Mountains (southeastern Spain), some local springs draining shallow perched aquifers were of assistance in assessing applicability of the atmospheric chloride mass balance (CMB) for quantifying total yearly recharge (R T) by rainfall. Two contrasting hydrological years (October through September) were selected to evaluate the influence of climate on recharge: the average rainfall year 2003–2004, and the unusually dry 2004–2005. Results at small catchment scale were calibrated with estimated daily stand-scale R T obtained by means of a soil water balance (SWB) of rainfall, using the actual evapotranspiration measured by the eddy covariance (EC) technique. R T ranged from 0.35 to 0.40 of rainfall in the year, with less than a 5% difference between the CMB and SWB methods in 2003–2004. R T varied from less than 0.05 of rainfall at mid-elevation to 0.20 at high elevation in 2004–2005, with a similar difference between the methods. Diffuse recharge (R D) by rainfall was quantified from daily soil water content field data to split R T into R D and the expected concentrated recharge (R C) at catchment scale in both hydrological years. R D was 0.16 of rainfall in 2003–2004 and 0.01 in 2004–2005. Under common 1- to 3-day rainfall events, the hydraulic effect of R D is delayed from 1 day to 1 week, while R C is not delayed. This study shows that the CMB method is a suitable tool for yearly values complementing and extending the more widely used SWB in ungauged mountain carbonate aquifers with negligible runoff. The slight difference between R T rates at small catchment and stand scales enables results to be validated and provides new estimates to parameterize R T with rainfall depth after checking the weight of diffuse and concentrated mechanisms on R T during moderate rainfall periods and episodes of marked climatic aridity.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

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Estimating groundwater recharge induced by engineering systems in a semiarid area (southeastern Spain)

Cited by 61 publications

References 11 publications

Comparative performance of soil water balance models in computing semi-arid aquifer recharge

Comparative performance of soil water balance models in computing semi-arid aquifer recharge

Recharge to mountainous carbonated aquifers in SE Spain: Different approaches and new challenges

Diffuse and concentrated recharge evaluation using physical and tracer techniques: results from a semiarid carbonate massif aquifer in southeastern Spain

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