Alleviating drought and water scarcity in the Mediterranean region through managed aquifer recharge

Drought and water scarcity can significantly impair the sustainable development of groundwater resources, a scenario commonly found in aquifers in the Mediterranean region. Water management measures to address these drivers of groundwater depletion are highly relevant, especially considering the increasing severity of droughts under climate change. This study evaluates the potential of managed aquifer recharge (MAR) to offset the adverse effects of drought and water scarcity on groundwater storage. Los Arenales aquifer (central Spain), which was unsustainably exploited for irrigation in the second half of the twentieth century, is employed as a case study. Two neighbouring zones within this aquifer are contrasted, namely, Los Arenales (LA) and Medina del Campo (MC). The primary difference between them in terms of water resources management is the wide-scale implementation of MAR systems in LA since the early 2000s. Several groundwater statistical methods are used. Groundwater-level trend analysis and average piezometric levels show in LA a faster recovery of aquifer storage and less susceptibility to drought compared to MC. On the other hand, standardised precipitation indexes and standardised groundwater level indexes of detrended groundwater-level time series, which do not include the effects of MAR, show that LA can be more negatively affected by drought and groundwater abstraction. The sharper recovery of piezometric levels in LA when considering MAR, and bigger drought impacts observed when the effects of this measure are removed, demonstrate that MAR can effectively alleviate the impacts of water scarcity and drought, providing an adaptation solution to climate change worldwide.

     

Groundwater level fluctuation in the Waimea Plains, New Zealand: changes in a coastal aquifer within the last 30 years

Data for the Waimea Plains, New Zealand indicate that the lower confined groundwater aquifer is hydraulically homogeneous and that shallow groundwater levels inland are affected mostly by anthropogenic processes, while those near the coast are affected more by sea level variation. Analysis of long-term data for New Zealand indicates that sea level has increased continuously, but trends are not spatially uniform. Results from non-parametric trend analysis show that rising trends for groundwater levels are predominant in the shallow aquifer both inland on the Waimea Plains and, for recent years, near the coast, while decreasing trends are evident in the underlying confined aquifer near the coast. Groundwater level change in the shallow aquifer appears to be more affected by climate change than the lower confined aquifer. Correlation analysis indicated that groundwater levels are more affected by rainfall during the rainy season than the dry season and more influenced by rainfall inland than near the coast. Groundwater level declines in the lower confined aquifer near the coast, which has its major recharge area inland in the catchment, may be substantially affected by groundwater abstraction in inland areas as well as sea level variation, but there are little evidences of seawater intrusion. Meanwhile, groundwater recharge over the catchment area has great influence on rising groundwater levels in the shallow aquifer and its recharge is estimated to be 417.8 mm/year using chloride concentrations of precipitation and groundwater.     

Causality analysis of the groundwater response in a delta plain of the lower Nakdong River,Republic of Korea

The salinity of groundwater in an estuarine delta plain is sometimes related to the presence of an estuarine dam. To understand groundwater processes and salinity variation, time series data on the river water level, groundwater level, and groundwater electrical conductivity were collected for the Nakdong River in southeastern Republic of Korea. Sampling was undertaken upstream of the estuarine barrage system, which is opened and closed depending on upstream flow and seawater level. Comprehensive correlation analysis was performed between the groundwater and river water levels using bubble plots between groundwater electrical conductivity and the hydrological variables. Comparative analysis between the correlations and the field measurements of the hydrological variables indicated a negligible flux connection between the river and groundwater. Oscillatory pressure wave propagation from the river boundary explains the response patterns of the groundwater level. There were different response times for the rising and falling of the river water. Electrical conductivity in groundwater is not directly associated with that of the river except in one well close to the river boundary. The response patterns of groundwater electrical conductivity were explained by potential anthropogenic activity. Further transfer modeling results also indicate a spatial explanatory response pattern for the groundwater level. No spatial patterns in the models of electrical conductivity indicate that the hydrological processes are different with respect to the groundwater level and electrical conductivity.

     

淮北平原浅层地下水多年动态变化及监测统测评估

【研究目的】变化环境下地下水时空规律的研究有助于水资源精细化管理和区域水资源安全保障。【研究方法】本文基于淮北平原区典型气象站1953—2019年月降雨数据,采用小波分析及M-K检验法,研究多年尺度降雨周期性变化及趋势规律;结合395个国家级监测井及地下水统测数据,采用主成分分析法进行监测井优化评价。【研究结果】淮北平原多年降雨量呈现多时空尺度变化特征,南部地区主周期较北部地区偏小,但周期尺度较多,变化更为复杂;西北部的浅层地下水位持续下降,其余区域水位处于有升有降的波动状态;南部区域浅层地下水水位在1970年、2003年及2019年3个时段呈现出先降低再恢复,北部部分区域地下水水位则呈现先升高再降低的特征,研究区水位总体存在下降趋势,但2000年以来水位总体有所回升;经主成分分析优化后的277个监测井（221个水利井和56个自然资源井）能代表395个原国家监测井的总体水位变化情况。【结论】国家地下水监测工程长序列监测数据能够很好地服务于流域尺度水资源评价及管理,但省市级尺度或重点区域还需要进行优化和加密,地下水位统测可有效填补,该工作应在重要河湖两侧、淮河北岸一带、东北部山前平原等高水力梯度区域进行加密。     

Monitoring runoff coefficients and groundwater levels using data from GRACE,GLDAS, and hydrometeorological stations: analysis of a Colombian foreland basin

The determination of space–time variation in groundwater accumulation in Colombia’s Eastern Llanos foreland basin from 2003 to 2014 was done using terrestrial water storage (TWS) anomalies identified in two versions of the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) data—from the Global Data Center for Space Research (CSR) at the University of Texas at Austin (USA) and from the Institute of Geodesy at the Graz University of Technology (ITSG, Austria)—and also soil moisture storage (SMS) data from the Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS). These data were compared to changes in groundwater storage obtained using the water-budget equation, calculated based on recorded data from hydrometeorological stations. This study confirmed the viability of using satellite information to understand and monitor temporal variation in groundwater recharge in the study area. Temporal variations in TWS, SMS, and groundwater level were shown to correspond to regional rain and drought periods, which are sensitive to climate phenomena such as El Niño and La Niña. Comparing changes in TWS and groundwater level to changes in infiltration and recharge revealed correlation coefficients of 0.56 and 0.98 with CSR data and 0.71 and 0.86 with ITSG data, respectively.     

Basin-scale groundwater response to precipitation variation and anthropogenic pumping in Chih-Ben watershed, Taiwan

The sustainable use of groundwater has become increasingly challenging due to extreme hydrological events and anthropogenic activity. In this study, the basin-scale groundwater response to precipitation variation was analyzed using an integrated model that comprises lumped models for land and river recharges and a distributed model for groundwater. The integrated model was applied to the Chih-Ben watershed, Taiwan, using 20?years (1988?C2007) of data. The hydrological data were analyzed for trends using statistical tests. Based on decreasing trends in precipitation and groundwater levels and an increasing trend in stream flow, the oblique-cut method was applied to precipitation and excess infiltration to assess land and streambed recharge. Distributed numerical groundwater modeling was used to simulate the basin-scale groundwater responses to precipitation variation and anthropogenic pumping. The model was calibrated using stable-isotope and groundwater-level data. The safe yields were estimated for the Chih-Ben watershed for dry, wet, and normal precipitation scenarios. The safe yield of groundwater was shown to vary with precipitation, which does not guarantee the sustainable use of groundwater resources. Instead, water resources should be assessed at a basin scale, taking into account the whole ecosystem, rather than only considering water for human consumption in the alluvium.     

Groundwater resources management through flow modeling in lower part of Bhagirathi — Jalangi interfluve,Nadia, West Bengal

Groundwater utilization in Nadia district, West Bengal has been subjected to rapid exploitation in the wake of increasing urbanization and production of agricultural commodities. It is, therefore, necessary to evaluate the existing trend and availability of groundwater in time and space and its movement for proper planning in future. In the present study, an attempt has been made develop a groundwater management model using Visual MODFLOW software. The groundwater flow model for the study area was formulated by using input hydrogeological data and appropriate boundary conditions. The groundwater flow pattern of the study area indicates the occurrence of base flow which feed both the Rivers Bhagirathi and Jalangi throughout the year. The computed hydraulic heads were calibrated by comparing with observed groundwater level data for years 2004 to 2006 and were verified with the data of 2007. The outcome of modeling shows that this model can be used for prediction purpose in the future by updating input boundary conditions and hydrologic stresses during the preceding year. The model optimized unit draft for deep tube well as 556.5 m³/day and the same for shallow tube well as 41 m³/day keeping the existing tube well structures in running condition and maintaining the present and recent past trends of groundwater level. The model can be further improved if more spatial and temporal input parameters are available and can be incorporated into the model for more realistic characterization of groundwater flow.     

Spatiotemporal variation of meteorological droughts based on the daily comprehensive drought index in the Haihe River basin,China

Meteorological droughts can affect large areas and may have serious environmental, social and economic impacts. These impacts depend on the severity, duration, and spatial extent of the precipitation deficit and the socioeconomic vulnerability of the affected regions. This paper examines the spatiotemporal variation of meteorological droughts in the Haihe River basin. Meteorological droughts events were diagnosed using daily meteorological data from 44 stations by calculating a comprehensive drought index (CI) for the period 1961–2011. Based on the daily CI values of each station over the past 50 years, the drought processes at each station were confirmed, and the severity, duration and frequency of each meteorological drought event were computed and analyzed. The results suggest the following conclusions: (1) the use of the CI index can effectively trace the development of drought and can also identify the duration and severity of each drought event; (2) the average drought duration was 57–85 days in each region of the Haihe River basin, and the region with the highest average values of drought duration and drought severity was Bohai Bay; (3) drought occurred more than 48 times over the study period, which is more than 0.95 times per year over the 50 years studied. The average frequencies of non-drought days, severe drought days and extreme drought days over the study period were 51.2, 3.2 and 0.4 %, respectively. Severe drought events mainly occurred in the south branch of the Hai River, and extreme drought events mainly occurred in the Shandong Peninsula and Bohai Bay; (4) the annual precipitation and potential evapotranspiration of the Haihe River basin show decreasing trends over the past 50 years. The frequency of severe drought and extreme drought events has increased in the past 20 years than during the period 1961–1990. The results of this study may serve as a reference point for decision regarding basin water resources management, ecological recovery and drought hazard vulnerability analysis.

     

Analysis of groundwater levels for detection of trend in Sagar district,Madhya Pradesh

Groundwater being an important component of the hydrological cycle as it sustains the streamflow during precipitation free periods and is a major source of water supply. The dependence on the groundwater has increased drastically over the years leading to over exploitation of the aquifers. Therefore, it is imperative to assess the extent of exploitation and analyse the groundwater level scenarios in the area of interest. The existence of a trend in a hydrological time series can be detected by statistical tests. The present study investigates the application of various methods for identification of trends in groundwater levels in few blocks of Sagar district, which faces severe water scarcity owing to the declining groundwater levels. The non-parametric Kendal rank correlation test as well as the parametric linear regression test has been used for trend detection based on the analysis of the seasonal groundwater levels. Kendal’s rank correlation test, has been applied to identify the trend persisting in the data and the linear regression test is used to identify the significance of the slope. The analysis indicates that the time series of groundwater levels are cyclical with characteristics of seasonal variation in all the blocks coupled with a declining trend at Sagar, Khurai and Bina.     

Spatiotemporal analysis of groundwater storage variations based on extreme-point symmetric mode decomposition and independent component analysis in Murray-Darling Basin,Australia

The combination of GRACE and hydrological models is widely used for quantification and time-varying analysis of groundwater storage, and several signal-processing tools have been adopted in recent years. However, the popular empirical models constrained by a priori functions, such as least squares fitting, cannot comprehensively reveal the transient variation of nonlinear or nonstationary signal sequences. An emerging self-adaptive signal-processing tool named extreme-point symmetric mode decomposition (ESMD), used with independent component analysis (ICA), has been applied to investigate spatiotemporal characteristics of GRACE-derived groundwater storage (GWS) change in the Murray-Darling Basin, Australia. Although ESMD is firstly applied to GRACE signal analysis, the result is effective and credible. ESMD can explore finer periodic components than the least-squares fitting, and the adaptive ESMD method can more sensitively estimate transient trend change and anomalies in nonlinear or nonstationary signals compared with a priori models. These findings coincide well with hydrometeorological conditions, such as “the Millennium Drought” in Australia’s mainland and the 2010–2012 La Niña event. ICA can also separate the relative independent components of groundwater storage change and qualitatively investigate the spatial weights with corresponding time coefficients. The results suggest that rainfall may be the main input source or influencing factor of groundwater circulation. Contrasting long-term trends between the northern and southern parts of the basin are attributed to the diverse physical mechanism of discharge and recharge related to spatial distribution of surface-water bodies. Although with distinct working principles, the cooperative application of ESMD and ICA can provide cross-supported and complementary conclusions from different perspectives.

     

人工神经网络(ANN)模型在地下水资源预测中的应用研究

分析了地下水系统影响因素的复杂性，提出对于研究程度不能满足分布参数模型计算要求的研究区域，更适于从系统的观点出发、建立适宜的集中参数模型，从整体上分析研究，以解决相关问题。结合沈阳市地下水资源评价与管理实例，尝试应用人工神经网络(ANN)技术在水资源系统模型研究中的新模式。构建了基于BP算法的ANN降水量和蒸发量的预测、地下水水位动态模拟、预测及开采量优化方面的应用模型，结果表明模型精度满足要求。     

基于三维随机水文地质结构模型的地下水流数值模拟: 以西辽河平原为例

为了探究水文地质结构对地下水流数值模拟的不确定性,可以运用随机模拟建立地下水位的预测模型。根据转移概率地质统计方法模拟多孔介质岩性分布,利用非线性规划的思路计算岩性与水文地质参数之间的关系,从而建立相对精确的随机水文地质参数场。将不同的水文地质参数场运用到MODFLOW中,得到不同的随机模拟结果。通过比较随机模型和确定模型的末流场拟合情况以及水位动态拟合图,发现确定模型和随机模型具有相似趋势,都能与实测流场拟合较好,但是随机模型更能体现真实的水文地质特征。对随机模型预测10年后的地下水水位做不确定性分析,得到水位平均变幅介于-5～5 m之间,且95%置信度水位变幅的平均上限线约为0.146 m。研究结果为决策者提供科学依据。     

表层岩溶带调蓄系数定量计算--以湘西洛塔赵家湾为例

本文以湖南洛塔赵家湾表层岩溶系统为例,综合利用水位、降雨量、蒸发量及泉流量等长观资料,分别对不同降雨特征下的表层岩溶带调蓄系数进行了定量计算,并对影响表层岩溶带调蓄能力的因素进行了分析。计算得到丰水期赵家湾表层岩溶带调蓄系数为0 14～0 2 8,明显小于枯水期调蓄系数0 44 ;但丰水期久旱后表层岩溶带的调蓄能力接近于枯水期;在丰水期,场雨和连续降雨时的调蓄能力比间歇降雨时的小近1倍。实例计算表明:赵家湾表层岩溶带具有一定的调蓄能力,其地下迳流滞后于降雨至少3d ,调蓄系数确实可以用来定量评价表层岩溶带的调蓄能力。     

GIS-based spatial and temporal investigation of groundwater level fluctuations under rice-wheat ecosystem over Haryana

Groundwater irrigation is the most predominant method used across India and about 50% of the total irrigated area is dependent on it. The state of Haryana has witnessed a spectacular increase in agricultural production in the last few decades, and is largely dependent on groundwater for irrigation. Groundwater mining for irrigation has become a reality in the state over the years as the number of tube wells has increased from 0.02 million in 1966 to 0.73 million in 2012, showing alarming signs of over-exploitation. The impact of increased groundwater irrigation on groundwater levels has not been studied both spatially and temporally. Therefore, this study has been undertaken to investigate the groundwater level fluctuations in the state using geographical information system (GIS) from the groundwater level data of 893 observation wells obtained from Groundwater Cell, Department of Agriculture, Government of Haryana, Panchkula, for the period 2004-12. Many researchers have applied GIS to reveal the spatial and temporal structure of groundwater level fluctuation and as a management and decision tool. The analysis of results indicated a mix of negative and positive trends in the groundwater levels. However, the negative trends were much more pronounced than positive ones. Groundwater level in the state ranged between 0.16 to 65.97 m from the ground surface and per cent area with groundwater level depth more than 10 meter (critical category) was about 56% in 2004 and has increased to 64% by 2012. The average annual decline in groundwater level was observed to be above 32 cm/year, with the strongest decline (108.9 cm/year) in Kurukshetra district.     

A comparative study of shallow groundwater level simulation with WA–ANN and ITS model in a coastal island of south China

Accurate and reliable prediction of shallow groundwater level is a critical component in water resources management. Two nonlinear models, WA–ANN method based on discrete wavelet transform (WA) and artificial neural network (ANN) and integrated time series (ITS) model, were developed to predict groundwater level fluctuations of a shallow coastal aquifer (Fujian Province, China). The two models were testified with the monitored groundwater level from 2000 to 2011. Two representative wells are selected with different locations within the study area. The error criteria were estimated using the coefficient of determination (R ²), Nash–Sutcliffe model efficiency coefficient (E), and root-mean-square error (RMSE). The best model was determined based on the RMSE of prediction using independent test data set. The WA–ANN models were found to provide more accurate monthly average groundwater level forecasts compared to the ITS models. The results of the study indicate the potential of WA–ANN models in forecasting groundwater levels. It is recommended that additional studies explore this proposed method, which can be used in turn to facilitate the development and implementation of more effective and sustainable groundwater management strategies.     

堆填岗地地下水水位动态特征及抗浮水位确定

在南方丘陵区工程建设的场地整平时，常形成一些人工堆填岗地，受到下覆黏性土的阻隔，岗地上的填土会形成独立的上层滞水地下水系统，但目前对于这个地下水系统的特征及其工程危害却鲜有研究。本文利用某人工堆填岗地导致地下室破坏的上层滞水水位监测资料，研究了该地下水系统的水位动态和流场及其变化特征，分析了水位和流场及其变化的影响因素。研究结果表明：堆填岗地上的集、排水工程易遭受填土不均匀沉降的破坏而出现渗漏；堆填岗地上的上层滞水虽属于“路过”型地下水，但系统的抗干扰能力弱，在汇集的雨水集中灌入时，因排泄相对缓慢，水位上升迅速，滞留时间较长，由此对地下工程造成破坏，因此工程建设时需引起重视。考虑到集、排水工程渗漏对上层滞水水位的影响，地下工程的抗浮水位应在考虑岗地的地下水水位的动态变化特征的基础上，以集、排水工程的埋深及可排泄标高为依据。本地下工程事故可用调整场地规划、封堵或重建渗漏集排水结构、盲沟疏排与拉锚结构的防治结合方式处理。     

地下水位变化模式下含水砂层变形特征及上海地面沉降特征分析

土体变形特征与其经历的应力状态有关。由于抽灌水位置和水量的变化,同一土层中不同时期的地下水位可以呈现不同的变化模式,土层表现出不同的变形特征。论文根据上海1400多个水位孔近40a的水位观测资料和各土层的变形资料,从土层变形角度将地下水位的变化方式划分为5种模式。分析了每种地下水位变化模式下土层的变形特征,并进一步分析了上海地面沉降在时间和空间上的特征。分析结果表明:地下水位的变化模式对上海土层的变形有显著影响。同一土层在不同的水位变化模式下可表现为弹性、弹塑性或粘弹塑性的变形特征;地面沉降与地下水开采量、地下水开采层次与主要沉降层具有密切的关系,开采地下水是上海地面沉降的主要原因;与现阶段含水层的水位变化模式相联系,第四承压含水层是上海最近几年来地面沉降的主要沉降层。     

Dynamic risk assessment of drought disaster for maize based on integrating multi-sources data in the region of the northwest of Liaoning Province, China

The traditional studies on drought disaster risk were based on the ground point data, which were unable to realize the continuity of space and the timeliness. It is shown that the monitoring and evaluation precision on drought were reduced significantly. However, remote sensing data in adequate spatial and temporal resolution can overcome these limitations. It can better monitor the crop in large area dynamically. This study presents a methodology for dynamic risk analysis and assessment of drought disaster to maize production in the northwest of Liaoning Province based on remote sensing data and GIS from the viewpoints of climatology, geography and disaster science. The model of dynamic risk assessment of drought disaster was established based on risk formation theory of natural disaster, and the expression of risk by integrating data came from sky, ground and space. The risk indexes were divided into four classes by data mining method, and the grade maps of drought disaster risk were drawn by GIS. It is shown that the spatial and temporal risk distributions of maize at each growth stage changed over time. The model has been verified against reduction in maize yield caused by drought. It demonstrated the reasonability, feasibility and reliability of the model and the methodology. The dynamic risk assessment of regional drought disaster for maize can be used as a tool, which can timely monitor the status (the possibility and extent of drought) and trends of regional drought disaster. The results obtained in this study can provide the latest information of regional drought disaster and the decision-making basis of disaster prevention and mitigation for government management and farmers.     

Decadal flood trends in Bangladesh from extensive hydrographic data

Bangladesh is a country that comprises much of the world’s largest delta, formed from the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna (GBM) rivers and their tributaries. Flooding is a fact of life in Bangladesh where up to two-thirds of the country is flooded annually from combined monsoonal rains and Himalayan snowmelt. For this reason, understanding flood dynamics on both local and regional scales is critical. However, flood hazard studies to date typically rely on single flooding events to create flood maps and to evaluate flood hazards using satellite imagery. Here we use geographic information systems to analyze weekly water level data from 304 river gauges and over 1200 groundwater gauges from the Bangladesh Water Development Board to determine the spatial and temporal changes in flood depth and extent. These data cover an eight year period from 2002 to 2010 and provide a temporal resolution that match or are better than that of available satellite imagery. Country-wide ground and surface water levels and corresponding annual flooding events were determined along with groundwater level, flooding, and precipitation trends in Bangladesh at multiple scales. We find that while precipitation within the GBM basin has steadily increased through the time series, the average country-wide inundation depth and absolute water level has been decreasing. These respective trends could be attributed to improved flood management strategies in Bangladesh and surrounding countries that are within the GBM basin, as well as fluctuating weather patterns, declining volume of Himalayan snowmelt runoff, dam construction upriver from the GBD both within and outside the Bangladesh border, and increased groundwater abstraction of shallow groundwater aquifers for sustaining life in the eighth most populous country in the world.     

Tritium across the hydrologic systems of southern Ontario,Canada: implications for groundwater age dating in the Great Lakes Basin

Modern, ambient tritium concentrations in precipitation are lower and more temporally consistent now that they have recovered from the historic thermonuclear bomb peak of the mid-1960s. With the bomb peak no longer the overriding influence on atmospheric tritium concentrations, anthropogenic point sources, such as nuclear-generating stations (NGS), have the largest influence, though the extent and temporal variability of this influence remains uncharacterized. The lack of precipitation monitoring locations means that spatial trends in tritium concentrations in precipitation are unknown. To address this data gap, tritium concentrations in shallow modern groundwater are interpolated throughout southern Ontario (Canada), at the center of the Great Lakes Basin, and the interpolation is tested as a precipitation proxy with a statistical comparison that shows good agreement between the shallow groundwater and precipitation datasets. The shallow groundwater tritium interpolation is used to delineate the extent of NGS influence as representing 66% of the study area. Recharge timings in the subcropping bedrock aquifers of the study area are interpreted qualitatively in areas outside of NGS influence to be primarily a mix of pre-bomb and modern recharge, with no indication of peak recharge levels remaining. The influence of drift thickness on the proportion of tritium-dead versus tritium-live samples is observed spatially and confirmed by comparing data distributions. The oldest waters (pre-1953) tend to occur in subcropping bedrock aquifers underlying the thickest sediment packages.