Pathways and Estimate of Aquifer Recharge in a Flood Basalt Terrain; A Review from the South Fork Palouse River Basin (Columbia River Plateau, USA)

Abstract

Aquifer recharge is one of the most important hydrologic parameters for understanding available groundwater volumes and making sustainable the use of natural water by minimizing groundwater mining. In this framework, we reviewed and evaluated the efficacy of multiple methods to determine recharge in a flood basalt terrain that is restrictive to infiltration and percolation. In the South Fork of the Columbia River Plateau, recent research involving hydrologic tracers and groundwater modeling has revealed a snowmelt-dominated system. Here, recharge is occurring along the intersection of mountain-front alluvial systems and the extensive Miocene flood basalt layers that form a fractured basalt and interbedded sediment aquifer system. The most recent groundwater flow model of the basin was based on a large physio-chemical dataset acquired in laterally and vertically distinctive locations that refined the understanding of the intersection of the margin alluvium and the spatially variable basalt flows that filled the basin. Modelled effective recharge of 25 and 105 mm/year appears appropriate for the basin’s plain and the mountain front, respectively. These values refine previous efforts on quantifying aquifer recharge based on Darcy’s law, one-dimensional infiltration, zero-flux plane, chloride, storage, and mass-balance methods. Overall, the combination of isotopic hydrochemical data acquired in three dimensions and flow modelling efforts were needed to simultaneously determine groundwater dynamics, recharge pathways, and appropriate model parameter values in a primarily basalt terrain. This holistic approach to understanding recharge has assisted in conceptualizing the aquifer for resource managers that have struggled to understand aquifer dynamics and sustainable withdrawals.

Groundwater Quality, Health Risk Assessment, and Source Distribution of Heavy Metals Contamination around Chromite Mines: Application of GIS, Sustainable Groundwater Management, Geostatistics, PCAMLR, and PMF Receptor Model

“…This technique completely characterized the groundwater data using a combined statistical and geospatial approach [75,76]. It is a valuable tool for fresh groundwater spatial distribution and autocorrelation [77][78][79][80][81]. To interpolate geographical variability, GIS typically uses four techniques: inverse distance weighting (IDW), kriging, spline, and nearest neighborhood [82].…”

Pollution Vulnerability of the Ghiss Nekkor Alluvial Aquifer in Al-Hoceima (Morocco), Using GIS-Based DRASTIC Model

“…Therefore, groundwater must be protected against the growing threat of contamination [ 10 ]. The quality is generally subject to considerable potential for pollution, especially in areas dominated by agriculture, with strenuous activities implying the utilization of pesticides and fertilizers [ 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ]. Additionally, it is necessary to analyze the quality of wastewater before releasing it and implement a cost-effective method for avoiding and controlling groundwater pollution [ 17 , 18 ].…”

Spatial Prediction of Groundwater Withdrawal Potential Using Shallow, Hybrid, and Deep Learning Algorithms in the Toudgha Oasis, Southeast Morocco

“…Oases in arid lands are home to thousand-year-old civilizations that have survived due to the availability of water resources and their management. Nowadays, water stress is often frequent and widespread; therefore, with the quasi-absence of surface water, groundwater represents the principal water supply source in those areas [1][2][3][4][5]. Thus, its availability is of paramount interest to territorial sustainable development [6].…”