Net Recharge vs. Depth to Groundwater Relationship in the Platte River Valley of Nebraska, United States

Abstract

One-km resolution MODIS-based mean annual evapotranspiration (ET) estimates in combination with PRISM precipitation rates were correlated with depth to groundwater (d) values in the wide alluvial valley of the Platte River in Nebraska for obtaining a net recharge (Rn) vs. d relationship. MODIS cells with irrigation were excluded, yielding a mixture of predominantly range, pasture, grass, and riparian forest covers on sandy soils with a shallow groundwater table. The transition depth (dt ) between negative and positive values of the net groundwater recharge was found to be at about 2 (±1) m. Within 1 (±1) m of the surface and at a depth larger than about 7 to 8 (±1) m, the mean annual net recharge became independent of d at a level of about -4 (±12)% and 13 (±10)%, respectively, of the mean annual precipitation rate. The obtained Rn(d) relationship is based on a calibration-free ET estimation method and may help in obtaining the net recharge in shallow groundwater areas of negligible surface runoff where sufficient groundwater-depth data exist.

Why Do Large‐Scale Land Surface Models Produce a Low Ratio of Transpiration to Evapotranspiration?

“…Numerous modeling studies using physically based ecohydrological models to explicitly represent lateral flow have demonstrated that lateral groundwater flow substantially impacts patterns of land surface energy and water exchange (e.g., Kollet & Maxwell, ; Maxwell & Kollet, ) to different extents depending on climate conditions (Ferguson & Maxwell, ), land forms and subsurface heterogeneity (Condon et al, ; Rihani et al, ), and model resolution (Shrestha et al, ). Szilagyi et al () further confirmed the link between groundwater and ET in Nebraska through observational data. In turn, these impacts may propagate into the atmospheric boundary layer, affecting the planetary boundary layer height, air temperature, convective available potential energy, and convection precipitation (e.g., Gilbert et al, ; Keune et al, ; Maxwell et al, ; Rahman et al, ; Rihani et al, ).…”

Evaluation of remotely sensed data for estimating recharge to an outcrop zone of the Guarani Aquifer System (South America)

“…The control volume extends from land surface to the water table and the groundwater storage changes were neglected. Over a long period of typically several years, aquifer storage tends to remain constant in the absence of significant climate change (Healy 2010;Szilagyi et al 2013). Since surface runoff (R off ) can be negligible in sandy soils and/or flat topography (Brunner et al 2007), R sat and R gr were calculated as the difference between annual rainfall (P) and evapotranspiration (ET; …”

Reduced Runoff Due to Anthropogenic Intervention in the Loess Plateau, China

“…The third uncertainty was from the assumption of no change in the groundwater and water storage in the basins. However, researchers have reported that the water storage [39,65] or groundwater [66,67] varied significantly, and was sensitive to changes in climate [68] and vegetation [61]. Therefore, with this assumption in Equations (7) and (8), the Budyko relationships may be affected by the variation of groundwater flow and water storage [69].…”