Is Annual Recharge Coefficient a Valid Concept in Arid and Semi-Arid Region?

Abstract. Deep soil recharge (DSR) (at depth more than 200 cm) is an important part of water circulation in arid and semi-arid regions. Quantitative monitoring of DSR is of great importance to assess water resources and study water balance in arid and semi-arid regions. Simple estimates of recharge based on fixed fractions of annual precipitation are misleading because they do not reflect the plant and soil factors controlling recharge. This study used a typical bare land on the Eastern margin of Mu Us Sandy Land of China an example to illustrate a new lysimeter method of measuring DSR underneath bare sand land in arid and semi-arid regions. Positioning monitoring was done on precipitation and DSR measurement underneath mobile sand dunes from 2013 to 2015 in the study area. Results showed that use of a constant recharge coefficient for estimating DSR in bare sand land in arid and semi-arid regions is questionable and could lead to considerable errors. It appeared that DSR in those regions was influenced by precipitation pattern, and was closely correlated with spontaneous heavy precipitation (defined for an event with more than 10 mm precipitation) other than the average precipitation strength. This study showed that as much as 42 % of precipitation in a single heavy precipitation event can be transformed into DSR. During the observation period, the maximum annual DSR could make up to 24.33 % of the annual precipitation. This study provided a reliable method of estimating DSR in sandy area of arid and semi-arid regions, which is valuable for managing groundwater resources and ecological restoration in those regions.

Download Full-text

Is annual recharge coefficient a valid concept in arid and semi-arid regions?

Hydrology and Earth System Sciences ◽

10.5194/hess-21-5031-2017 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 21 (10) ◽

pp. 5031-5042 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Yiben Cheng ◽

Hongbin Zhan ◽

Wenbin Yang ◽

Hongzhong Dang ◽

Wei Li

Keyword(s):

Arid Regions ◽

Groundwater Resources ◽

Ordos Basin ◽

Annual Precipitation ◽

Precipitation Event ◽

Precipitation Pattern ◽

Total Precipitation ◽

Deep Soil ◽

Semi Arid ◽

Precipitation Events

Abstract. Deep soil recharge (DSR) (at depth greater than 200 cm) is an important part of water circulation in arid and semi-arid regions. Quantitative monitoring of DSR is of great importance to assess water resources and to study water balance in arid and semi-arid regions. This study used a typical bare land on the eastern margin of Mu Us Sandy Land in the Ordos Basin of China as an example to illustrate a new lysimeter method of measuring DSR to examine if the annual recharge coefficient is valid or not in the study site, where the annual recharge efficient is the ratio of annual DSR over annual total precipitation. Positioning monitoring was done on precipitation and DSR measurements underneath mobile sand dunes from 2013 to 2015 in the study area. Results showed that use of an annual recharge coefficient for estimating DSR in bare sand land in arid and semi-arid regions is questionable and could lead to considerable errors. It appeared that DSR in those regions was influenced by precipitation pattern and was closely correlated with spontaneous strong precipitation events (with precipitation greater than 10 mm) other than the total precipitation. This study showed that as much as 42 % of precipitation in a single strong precipitation event can be transformed into DSR. During the observation period, the maximum annual DSR could make up 24.33 % of the annual precipitation. This study provided a reliable method of estimating DSR in sandy areas of arid and semi-arid regions, which is valuable for managing groundwater resources and ecological restoration in those regions. It also provided strong evidence that the annual recharge coefficient was invalid for calculating DSR in arid and semi-arid regions. This study shows that DSR is closely related to the strong precipitation events, rather than to the average annual precipitation, as well as the precipitation patterns.

Download Full-text

Groundwater surveys in Developing Regions

Air Soil and Water Research ◽

10.4137/aswr.s6053 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 3 ◽

pp. ASWR.S6053

Author(s):

Jeff Lewis ◽

Birgitta Liljedahl

Keyword(s):

Arid Regions ◽

Groundwater Resources ◽

Large Area ◽

Developing Regions ◽

Well Drilling ◽

Regional Flow ◽

Groundwater Aquifer ◽

Interpretation Patterns ◽

Hydrogeological Information ◽

Semi Arid

This paper discusses the interpretation of surface features that can assist in the evaluation of groundwater resources in semi-arid and arid developing regions. The lack of infrastructure in these areas places serious constraints on borehole drilling, which in turn limits the data which can be obtained directly from the subsurface. Under these conditions, surface indicators may be used to infer useful information about the subsurface, which includes shallow aquifers. This article summarizes those surface indicators which provide useful data in arid and semi-arid regions and provides a review of the literature to assist in their interpretation. Patterns of surface indicators covering a large area may be more effective and less costly for interpreting basic regional hydrogeological conditions than detailed data obtained from a limited number of boreholes. The hydrogeological information which can be obtained by using the methods discussed in this article include the regional flow patterns, an estimate of the depth to groundwater, aquifer geology and estimates of the regional recharge and discharge zones. This data may in turn provide support for subsequent well drilling campaigns, limited environmental assessments, and potable water assessments for humanitarian base camps in developing regions.

Download Full-text

Spatial and temporal variation of precipitation characteristics in the semiarid region of Xi'an, northwest China

Journal of Water and Climate Change ◽

10.2166/wcc.2021.048 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Hao Han ◽

Jingming Hou ◽

Rengui Jiang ◽

Jiahui Gong ◽

Ganggang Bai ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Temporal Variation ◽

Arid Regions ◽

Resource Planning ◽

Northwest China ◽

Annual Precipitation ◽

Spatial And Temporal Variation ◽

Semiarid Region ◽

Monthly Precipitation ◽

Xi’An City ◽

Semi Arid

Abstract Precipitation variations mostly affect the water resource planning in semi-arid regions of northwest China. The objective of this study is to quantitatively explore the spatial and temporal variations of precipitation in different time scales in Xi'an city area. The Mann–Kendall test and wavelet analysis methods were applied to analyze the precipitation variability. In terms of temporal variation of precipitation, the results indicated that the annual precipitation exhibited a significant decreasing trend during 1951–2018. Except for summer precipitation representing a slightly increasing trend, the other seasonal precipitations had a similar decreasing trend to annual precipitation throughout 1951–2018. The monthly precipitation had different change trends, showing the precipitation from June to September could account for 58.4% of the total annual precipitation. In addition, it was clear that annual precipitation had a significant periodic change, with the periods of 6, 13, 19, and 27 years. For the spatial variation of precipitation during 1961–2018, the results showed that annual and seasonal precipitation exhibited obvious spatial differences, indicating an increasing spatial trend from north to south. Thus, understanding the precipitation variation in Xi'an city can provide a theoretical foundation of future water resources management for other cities in semi-arid regions of northwest China.

Download Full-text

A hydro-economic model for managing groundwater resources in semi-arid regions

Water Resources Management V ◽

10.2495/wrm090091 ◽

2009 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

H. Assaf

Keyword(s):

Economic Model ◽

Arid Regions ◽

Groundwater Resources ◽

Semi Arid

Download Full-text

Coastal Aquifer Salinization in Semi-Arid Regions: The Case of Grombalia (Tunisia)

Water ◽

10.3390/w13020129 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (2) ◽

pp. 129

Author(s):

Siwar Kammoun ◽

Rim Trabelsi ◽

Viviana Re ◽

Kamel Zouari

Keyword(s):

Coastal Aquifer ◽

Arid Regions ◽

Groundwater Resources ◽

Exchange Process ◽

Shallow Aquifer ◽

Return Flow ◽

Rock Interaction ◽

Freshwater Resource ◽

Semi Arid ◽

Groundwater Mineralization

Groundwater resources are facing increasing pressure especially in semi-arid regions where they often represent the main freshwater resource to sustain human needs. Several aquifers in the Mediterranean basin suffer from salinization and quality degradation. This study provides an assessment of Grombalia coastal aquifer (Tunisia) based on multidisciplinary approach that combines chemical and isotopic (δ2H, δ18O, 3H, 14C and δ13C) methods to characterize the relation between groundwater quality variation and aquifer recharge. The results indicate that total dissolved solids exceed 1000 mg/L in the most of samples excepting the recharge area. In addition to water–rock interaction, evaporation and nitrate pollution contributing to groundwater mineralization, the reverse cation exchange process constitute an important mechanism controlling groundwater mineralization with enhancing risk of saltwater intrusion. Environmental isotope tracers reveal that groundwater is evolving within an open system to close system. A significant component of recent water that is recharging Grombalia aquifer system is confirmed by applying correction models based on the δ13C values and 14C activities and tritium contents. However, this recharge, which is mainly associated to the return flow of irrigation water, contributes to the groundwater salinization, especially for the shallow aquifer.

Download Full-text

New measures of deep soil water recharge during vegetation restoration process in semi-arid regions of northern China

10.5194/hess-2020-200 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Yiben Cheng ◽

Hongbin Zhan ◽

Wenbin Yang ◽

Qunou Jiang ◽

Yunqi Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Soil Moisture ◽

Sandy Soil ◽

Arid Regions ◽

Soil Layer ◽

Soil Particle ◽

Sandy Land ◽

Deep Soil ◽

Artemisia Sphaerocephala ◽

The Impact ◽

Semi Arid

Abstract. Desertification in semi-arid regions is currently a global environmental and societal problem. This research attempts to understand whether a 40-year-old rain-feed Artamisia sphaerocephala Krasch sand-fixing land in Three North Shelterbelt Program (3NSP) of China can be developed sustainably or not, using a newly designed lysimeter to monitor the precipitation-induced deep soil recharge (DSR) at 220 cm depth. Evapotranspiration is calculated through a water balance equation when precipitation and soil moisture data are collected. Comparison of soil particle sizes and soil moisture distributions in artificial sand-fixing land and neighboring bare land is made to assess the impact of sand-fixing reforestation. Results show that such a sand-fixing reforestation results in a root system being mainly developed in the horizontal direction and the changed soil particle distribution. Specifically, the sandy soil with 50.53 % medium sand has been transformed into a sandy soil with 68.53 % fine sand. Within the Artamisia sphaerocephala Krasch sand-fixing experimental area, the DSR values in bare sand plot and Artemisia sphaerocephala Krasch plot are respectively 283.6 mm and 90.6 mm in wet years, reflecting a difference of more than three times. The deep soil layer moisture in semi-arid sandy land is largely replenished by precipitation-induced infiltration. The DSR values of bare sandy land plot and Artemisia sphaerocephala Krasch plot are respectively 51.6 mm and 2 mm in dry years, a difference of more than 25 times. The proportions of DSR reduced by Artemisia sphaerocephala Krasch is 68.06 % and 96.12 % in wet and dry years, respectively. This research shows that Artamisia sphaerocephala Krasch in semi-arid region can continue to grow and has the capacity of fixing sand. It consumes a large amount of precipitated water, and reduces the amount of DSR considerably.

Download Full-text

New measures of deep soil water recharge during the vegetation restoration process in semi-arid regions of northern China

Hydrology and Earth System Sciences ◽

10.5194/hess-24-5875-2020 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 24 (12) ◽

pp. 5875-5890

Author(s):

Yiben Cheng ◽

Xinle Li ◽

Yunqi Wang ◽

Hongbin Zhan ◽

Wenbin Yang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Soil Moisture ◽

Sandy Soil ◽

Arid Regions ◽

Soil Layer ◽

Soil Particle ◽

Sandy Land ◽

Deep Soil ◽

Artemisia Sphaerocephala ◽

The Impact ◽

Semi Arid

Abstract. Desertification in semi-arid regions is currently a global environmental and societal problem. This research attempts to understand whether a 40-year-old rain-fed Artemisia sphaerocephala Krasch sand-fixing land as part of the Three North Shelterbelt Program (3NSP) of China can be developed sustainably or not using a newly designed lysimeter to monitor the precipitation-induced deep soil recharge (DSR) at 220 cm of depth. Evapotranspiration is calculated through a water balance equation when precipitation and soil moisture data are collected. A comparison of soil particle sizes and soil moisture distributions in artificial sand-fixing land and neighboring bare land is made to assess the impact of sand-fixing reforestation. Results show that such a sand-fixing reforestation results in a root system being mainly developed in the horizontal direction and a changed soil particle distribution. Specifically, the sandy soil with 50.53 % medium sand has been transformed into a sandy soil with 68.53 % fine sand. Within the Artemisia sphaerocephala Krasch sand-fixing experimental area, the DSR values in the bare sand plot and Artemisia sphaerocephala Krasch plot are respectively 283.6 and 90.6 mm in wet years, reflecting a difference of more than 3 times. The deep soil layer moisture in semi-arid sandy land is largely replenished by precipitation-induced infiltration. The DSR values of the bare sandy land plot and Artemisia sphaerocephala Krasch plot are respectively 51.6 and 2 mm in dry years, a difference of more than 25 times. The proportions of DSR reduced by Artemisia sphaerocephala Krasch are 68.06 % and 96.12 % in wet and dry years, respectively. This research shows that Artemisia sphaerocephala Krasch in semi-arid regions can continue to grow and has the capacity to fix sand. It consumes a large amount of precipitated water and reduces the amount of DSR considerably.

Download Full-text