Monitoring aquifer recharge using repeated high-precision gravity measurements: A pilot study in South Weber, Utah

Geophysics ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 73 (6) ◽  
pp. WA83-WA93 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. S. Chapman ◽  
E. Sahm ◽  
P. Gettings
Keyword(s):  
High Precision ◽  
Gravity Anomalies ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
Alluvial Fan ◽  
Aquifer Recharge ◽  
Aquifer System ◽  
Aquifer Storage ◽  
Gravity Measurements ◽  
Groundwater Mound ◽  
Gravity Signal

Repeated high-precision gravity surveys were conducted over two infiltration cycles on an alluvial-fan aquifer system at the mouth of Weber Canyon in northern Utah as part of the Weber River Basin Aquifer Storage and Recovery Pilot Project (WRBASR). Gravity measurements collected before, during, and after infiltration events indicate that a perched groundwater mound formed during infiltration events and decayed smoothly following infiltration. Data also suggest the groundwater mound migrated gradually south-southwest from the surface infiltration site. Maximum measured gravity changes associated with the infiltration were [Formula: see text] during the first event (2004) and a net [Formula: see text] increase during the second event (2005). Gaussian in-tegration of the spatial gravity anomaly yields an anomalouscausative mass within 10% of the [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] of infiltrated water measured in 2004. The spatial gravity field is consistent with a groundwater mound at the end of the infiltration cycle approximately equivalent to a cylindrical disc of height [Formula: see text] and a radius between [Formula: see text]. After infiltration ceased, gravity anomalies decreased to approximately 50% of their original amplitude over a characteristic time of three to four months. The reduction of the gravity signal is simulated by analytical solutions for the decay of a groundwater mound through a saturated porous media. This comparison places relatively tight bounds on the hydraulic conductivity of the alluvial-fan material below the infiltration site with a preferred value of [Formula: see text] on a length scale of a few hundred meters.

scholarly journals Potential for Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) in South Bihar, India

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 3502
Author(s):  
Somnath Bandyopadhyay ◽  
Aviram Sharma ◽  
Satiprasad Sahoo ◽  
Kishore Dhavala ◽  
Prabhakar Sharma
Keyword(s):  
Pilot Study ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Hard Rock ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Aquifer Storage And Recovery ◽  
Aquifer Recharge ◽  
Aquifer Storage ◽  
Cropping Season ◽  
Selection Of ◽  
Surface Technique

Among the several options of managed aquifer recharge (MAR) techniques, the aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) is a well-known sub-surface technique to replenish depleted aquifers, which is contingent upon the selection of appropriate sites. This paper explores the potential of ASR for groundwater recharge in the hydrological, hydrogeological, social, and economic context of South Bihar in India. Based on the water samples from more than 137 wells and socio-economic surveys, ASR installations were piloted through seven selected entrepreneurial farmers in two villages of South Bihar. The feasibility of ASR in both hard rock and deep alluvial aquifers was demonstrated for the prominent aquifer types in the marginal alluvial plains of South Bihar and elsewhere. It was postulated through this pilot study that a successful spread of ASR in South Bihar can augment usable water resources for agriculture during the winter cropping season. More importantly, ASR can adapt to local circumstances and challenges under changing climatic conditions. The flexible and participatory approach in this pilot study also allowed the farmers to creatively engage with the design and governance aspects of the recharge pit. The entrepreneurial farmers-led model builds local accountability, creates avenues for private investments, and opens up the space for continued innovation in technology and management, while also committing to resource distributive justice and environmental sustainability.

Designing tradeable rights to manage aquifer recharge according to robust separation principles

2008 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 427-440 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Ward ◽  
Peter Dillon ◽  
Agnes Grandgirard
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Reform Process ◽  
Urban Water ◽  
Market Exchange ◽  
Aquifer Recharge ◽  
Australian Water ◽  
Aquifer Storage ◽  
Robust Separation ◽  
Water Reform

Many cities are experiencing mature urban water economies, characterised by limited opportunities for future water impoundments, rising incremental supply and infrastructure costs, intensified competition and increased interdependencies between diverse water uses. Aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) is currently promoted as one option to augment existing supplies and in many jurisdictions is assuming increasing importance in the portfolio of urban water management strategies. Consistent with trends in international water policy development, Australian water reform has emphasised institutional and governance approaches promoting voluntary transfers of water through market exchange. The reform process has made substantial advances in addressing the constraints and tensions associated with mature rural water economies, with limited influence in urban water systems. What remains unclear is the degree of alignment of new water management technologies such as ASR operations with explicit water reform directives of market development and the capacity of subsequent urban water legislation to provide consistent and coherent ASR guidelines. The paper describes a systematic approach to align the hydrological characteristics of an aquifer with economic and policy interpretations central to the development and management of ASR. The paper introduces a schema to identify the elements of the urban terrestrial water cycle specific to ASR, the development of a typology to characterise the aquifer potential for ASR, and identify and determine the nature of property rights for each system element according to the principles of robust separation of water rights.

scholarly journals Assessment of subsidence risk associated with aquifer storage and recovery in the Coastal Lowlands Aquifer System, Houston, Texas, USA

2020 ◽  
Vol 382 ◽  
pp. 487-491
Author(s):  
Van Kelley ◽  
Michael Turco ◽  
Neil Deeds ◽  
Christina Petersen ◽  
Chris Canonico
Keyword(s):  
Water Supply ◽  
Land Surface ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Aquifer Storage And Recovery ◽  
Aquifer System ◽  
Aquifer Storage ◽  
Alternative Water ◽  
Regulatory Plan ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Coastal Lowlands

Abstract. In the Houston, Texas region, groundwater use is regulated by the Harris-Galveston Subsidence District (District) because of historical regional subsidence from groundwater development. The District regulates groundwater production in the Coastal Lowlands Aquifer System (CLAS) to mitigate subsidence through the implementation of District Groundwater Regulatory Plan. The District has successfully reduced groundwater pumping as a percent of demand regionally while controlling subsidence through the implementation of alternative water supplies. Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) is an alternative water supply strategy that provides a means to store water underground and increase water supply more cost effectively than traditional storage expansion strategies. Groundwater users in the District are interested in the many potential benefits of ASR as a water supply strategy. Little is known about the potential effects on compaction and land surface subsidence resulting from ASR operations. Recognizing this, the District funded research on the potential subsidence risk associated with ASR. Two hypothetical, though representative, ASR projects were developed and analysed: (1) an industrial ASR project meant to provide water supply during a drought of record (DOR), and (2) a municipal ASR project designed to provide an annual municipal summer peaking water supply. Simulations of groundwater hydraulics and subsidence were performed at three potential locations within the CLAS to provide insight into variability associated with location and aquifer depth. Theoretical simulations confirmed the potential for subsidence associated with the application of ASR in the CLAS, although operating an ASR for summer peaking needs has less potential risk of subsidence than the DOR scenario in the scenarios simulated. The study simulations provide insight into how an ASR project may be designed and operated to minimize compaction and potential subsidence. Based on this study, ASR operated to address summer peaking showed the greatest potential to reduce additional compaction verses sourcing all water from groundwater. This theoretical study provides a basis for future research on subsidence associated with ASR and provides a framework for consideration for the regulation of ASR within the District.

The gravity field over the Ungava Bay region from satellite altimetry and new land-based data: implications for the geology of the area

1999 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamid Telmat ◽  
Jean-Claude Mareschal ◽  
Clément Gariépy
Keyword(s):  
Satellite Altimetry ◽  
Gravity Data ◽  
Gravity Anomalies ◽  
Gravity Models ◽  
Crustal Thickening ◽  
Seismic Line ◽  
Crustal Thinning ◽  
Gravity Measurements ◽  
George River ◽  
Superior Craton

Gravity data were obtained along two transects on the southern coast of Ungava Bay, which provide continuous gravity coverage between Leaf Bay and George River. The transects and the derived gravity profiles extend from the Superior craton to the Rae Province across the New Quebec Orogen (NQO). Interpretation of the transect along the southwestern coast of Ungava Bay suggests crustal thickening beneath the NQO and crustal thinning beneath the Kuujjuaq Terrane, east of the NQO. Two alternative interpretations are proposed for the transect along the southeastern coast of the bay. The first model shows crustal thickening beneath the George River Shear Zone (GRSZ) and two shallow bodies correlated with the northern extensions of the GRSZ and the De Pas batholith. The second model shows constant crustal thickness and bodies more deeply rooted than in the first model. The gravity models are consistent with the easterly dipping reflections imaged along a Lithoprobe seismic line crossing Ungava Bay and suggest westward thrusting of the Rae Province over the NQO. Because no gravity data have been collected in Ungava Bay, satellite altimetry data have been used as a means to fill the gap in data collected at sea. The satellite-derived gravity data and standard Bouguer gravity data were combined in a composite map for the Ungava Bay region. The new land-based gravity measurements were used to verify and calibrate the satellite data and to ensure that offshore gravity anomalies merge with those determined by the land surveys in a reasonable fashion. Three parallel east-west gravity profiles were extracted: across Ungava Bay (59.9°N), on the southern shore of the bay (58.5°N), and onshore ~200 km south of Ungava Bay (57.1°N). The gravity signature of some major structures, such as the GRSZ, can be identified on each profile.

A comparison between sea-bottom gravity and satellite altimeter-derived gravity in coastal environments: A case study of the Gulf of Manfredonia (SW Adriatic Sea)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luigi Sante Zampa ◽  
Emanuele Lodolo ◽  
Nicola Creati ◽  
Martina Busetti ◽  
Gianni Madrussani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gravity Field ◽  
Satellite Altimetry ◽  
Adriatic Sea ◽  
Gravity Anomalies ◽  
Satellite Altimeter ◽  
Sea Bottom ◽  
Marine Gravity ◽  
Gravity Measurements ◽  
Near Shore ◽  
Italian Coasts

<p>In this study, we present a comparative analysis between two types of gravity data used in geophysical applications: satellite altimeter-derived gravity and sea-bottom gravity.</p><p>It is largely known that the marine gravity field derived from satellite altimetry in coastal areas is generally biased by signals back-scattered from the nearby land. As a result, the derived gravity anomalies are mostly unreliable for geophysical and geological interpretations of near-shore environments.</p><p>To quantify the errors generated by the land-reflected signals and to verify the goodness of the geologic models inferred from gravity, we compared two different altimetry models with sea-bottom gravity measurements acquired along the Italian coasts from the early 50s to the late 80s.</p><p>We focused on the Gulf of Manfredonia, located in the SE sector of the Adriatic Sea, where: (i) two different sea-bottom gravity surveys have been conducted over the years, (ii) the bathymetry is particularly flat, and (iii) seismic data revealed a prominent carbonate ridge covered by hundreds of meters of Oligocene-Quaternary sediments.</p><p>Gravity field derivatives have been used to enhance both: (i) deep geological contacts, and (ii) coastal noise. The analyses outlined a “ringing-noise effect” which causes the altimeter signal degradation up to 17 km from the coast.</p><p>Differences between the observed gravity and the gravity calculated from a geological model constrained by seismic, showed that all datasets register approximately the same patterns, associated with the Gondola Fault Zone, a major structural discontinuity traversing roughly E-W the investigated area.</p><p>This study highlights the importance of implementing gravity anomalies derived from satellite-altimetry with high-resolution near-shore data, such as the sea-bottom gravity measurements available around the Italian coasts. Such analysis may have significant applications in studying the link between onshore and offshore geological structures in transitional areas.</p>

New Research on Gravity Field in Lithuanian Territory

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Petras Petroškevicius ◽  
Romuald Obuchovski ◽  
Rosita Birvydienė ◽  
Ricardas Kolosovskis ◽  
Raimundas Putrimas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gravity Field ◽  
Gravity Anomalies ◽  
Satellite Geodesy ◽  
Accuracy Estimation ◽  
Coordinate Determination ◽  
Improve Accuracy ◽  
Gravity Measurements ◽  
Normal Heights ◽  
Rms Error ◽  
New Research

New research of Lithuanian territory gravity field was started in 2016 with aim to improve accuracy of quasigeoid as well as accuracy of normal heights determined by methods of satellite geodesy. Obtained data could be used in the research of geophysics, geodynamics as well as in performing the precise navigation. Quartz automatic gravimeters Scintrex CG-5 are planned to be used for the survey consisting of 30000 points. Method of gravity measurements was worked out. RMS error of gravity determined with this method does not exceed 60 @Gal. Coordinates and heights of measured points are determined with GNSS using LitPOS network and LIT15G quasigeoid model. RMS error of coordinate determination does not exceed 0,20 m, for normal heights – 0,15 m. Method of gravity anomalies determination and their accuracy estimation was prepared.

scholarly journals Gravity Measurements on the Athabaska Glacier, Alberta, Canada

1963 ◽  
Vol 4 (35) ◽  
pp. 617-631
Author(s):  
E. R. Kanasewich
Keyword(s):  
Cross Section ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Gravity Anomalies ◽  
Independent Data ◽  
Surface Slope ◽  
Average Shear Stress ◽  
Glacier Valley ◽  
Gravity Measurements ◽  
Average Shear ◽  
Made In

AbstractThe thickness of the Athabaska Glacier has been obtained along eight transverse profiles by an investigation of gravity anomalies. Three-dimensional computations with a low-speed digital computer were made in this study to acquire more precise results than previously obtained. The thickness of the glacier varies front 326 m. on a line below the lower ice fall to 49 m. near the terminus. The accuracy of the results is discussed and compared with independent data from bore holes and a seismic program. The cross-section of the glacier valley was found to approximate a parabola on several lines. From a knowledge of the thickness. shape and surface slope of the glacier, the average shear stress exerted by the bed on the ice was found to be 1.0 bar.

scholarly journals Managed aquifer recharge in the Marecchia alluvial fan (Rimini - Italy), start of the test and first results

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paolo Severi ◽  
Luciana Bonzi ◽  
Venusia Ferrari ◽  
Immacolata Pellegrino
Keyword(s):  
Water Level ◽  
Groundwater Level ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Monitoring Network ◽  
Managed Aquifer Recharge ◽  
Alluvial Fan ◽  
Continuous Measure ◽  
Aquifer Recharge ◽  
Data Logger ◽  
Southeastern Part

Among the actions designed to manage the water crisis that have taken place in the summers of recent years in the southeastern part of the Emilia-Romagna Region, it has recently launched a trial of managed aquifer recharge in the alluvial fan of the Marecchia river (Rimini), where annually are withdrawn about 28 million m3 of water, 19 of witch for drinking water use. This test consists in conveying into quarry lake, located in the recharge area of the alluvial fan, an additional volume of water through a channel. The increase in the volume of water in the lake, should result in a rapid increase in the availability of water in the aquifers. To verify the recharge efficacy a special monitoring network consisting of 20 measuring points, 5 of which are specially drilled, it has been implemented. In 9 of these points a data logger for the continuous measure of level, temperature and electric conductivity at 20°C, it has been installed. A data logger has also been positioned in the channel from which the water flows into the lake. For about a month groundwater level was monitored prior to the recharge experiment. On 25 February 2014 managed aquifer recharge began and the volume of water flowing through the canal to lake until April 30, 2014, was approximately 600,000 m3. In this period it was possible to observe that the intervention produces the expected effects, thus inducing an increase in the groundwater level which is maximum near the lake and decreases away from it. The rise in the water level of the lake has been rapid and substantial. Within the area of the lake have settled some protected bird species in need of a precise environmental balance for nesting; an excessive increase of the lake level could put at risk of flooding some nests present. The objective of the following phases of the study will be to calibrate an adequate water level of the lake, to the purposes of managed aquifer recharge and to maintain the existing ecosystem. At the moment, it was decided to stop the flow of water into the lake and then to re-set it at a lower flow rate. In the test area also falls a well field that is not currently used. It will be interesting to check in the future, in the event of a major withdrawal, the influence on the progress of the flow lines in conjunction with the managed aquifer recharge.

scholarly journals Gravity Measurements on the Athabaska Glacier, Alberta, Canada

1963 ◽  
Vol 4 (35) ◽  
pp. 617-631 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. R. Kanasewich
Keyword(s):  
Cross Section ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Gravity Anomalies ◽  
Independent Data ◽  
Surface Slope ◽  
Average Shear Stress ◽  
Glacier Valley ◽  
Gravity Measurements ◽  
Average Shear ◽  
Made In

AbstractThe thickness of the Athabaska Glacier has been obtained along eight transverse profiles by an investigation of gravity anomalies. Three-dimensional computations with a low-speed digital computer were made in this study to acquire more precise results than previously obtained. The thickness of the glacier varies front 326 m. on a line below the lower ice fall to 49 m. near the terminus. The accuracy of the results is discussed and compared with independent data from bore holes and a seismic program. The cross-section of the glacier valley was found to approximate a parabola on several lines. From a knowledge of the thickness. shape and surface slope of the glacier, the average shear stress exerted by the bed on the ice was found to be 1.0 bar.

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