Shallow groundwater dynamics and its driving forces in extremely arid areas: a case study of the lower Heihe River in northwestern China

Shallow groundwater is an important source of water for the maintenance and restoration of ecosystems in arid environments, which necessitates a deeper understanding of its complex spatial and temporal dynamics driven by hydrological processes. This study explores the dominant hydrological processes that control the shallow groundwater dynamics in the Gobi Desert‐riparian‐oasis system of the lower Heihe River, a typical arid inland river basin located in northwestern China. The groundwater level and temperature were monitored in 14 shallow wells at 30‐min intervals during the 2010–2012 period. After combining this information with meteorological and hydrological data, a comprehensive analysis was conducted to understand the dynamic behaviour of the shallow groundwater system and to determine the dominant factors that control the groundwater flow processes. The results of the study indicate notably large temporal and spatial variations in both the groundwater level and temperature. Noticeable fluctuations in the groundwater level (0.5–1 m) and temperature (4–8 °C) were observed in the riparian zone, evidencing a clear river influence. In comparison, the groundwater fluctuations in the Gobi Desert were more stable (the annual variations of the water table were less than 0.5 m, and the water temperature varied by no more than 2 °C). Strong variations in the groundwater table (1.5–5.0 m/year) and temperature (1.5–6.5 °C), mainly caused by surface flood irrigation and groundwater pumping, were observed in the oasis area. The investigated sites were categorized into three types that reflect the dominant hydrological processes: (1) the riparian zone, dominated by riverbank filtration and groundwater evapotranspiration; (2) the Gobi Desert area, controlled by groundwater evaporation and lateral recharge; and (3) the oasis area, dominated by groundwater evapotranspiration as well as surface–groundwater interactions caused by human activities. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Groundwater responses to the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake on Jeju Island,Korea

Groundwater responses at 15 monitoring wells on Jeju Island were observed in relation to the magnitude 9.0 Tohoku Earthquake off the Pacific coast of Honshu, Japan, on 11 March 2011, at 14:46:23 h local time (05:46:24 h UTC time). In coastal areas, the groundwater level responses to the earthquake were oscillatory at 12 wells, and the range of the maximum groundwater level changes was 3–192.4 cm. The response durations were approximately 1–62 min. The relationship between the maximum groundwater level changes and the response durations displayed a high correlation coefficient (r = 0.81). Groundwater temperature changes were also observed at 7 of 12 wells 3–10 min after the seismic wave arrived, and the range was from 0.01 °C to 1.20 °C. In mid‐elevation areas, the groundwater level changes appeared in three different forms: oscillatory, spiky and persistent. The groundwater temperature changes were also observed at two wells. One indicated decreasing and recovering temperatures, and the other exhibited rising and persistent temperatures. The primary temperature changes occurred 5–6 min after the earthquake and 2–3 min after the seismic wave arrived. In addition, the electrical conductivities at the depth of the transition zone were monitored, and the responses to the earthquake appeared at all three wells. Although the electrical conductivity and temperature changes were not well understood, groundwater inflow and mixing were likely caused by the earthquake, and the responses were various and site specific. The responses to the earthquake were closely related to the hydrogeological characteristics at each monitoring well, and a more detailed hydrogeological characterization is needed to understand the mechanisms related to earthquakes in general. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

夏垫断裂带地震地下流体的同震响应研究

地震地下流体已成为一种重要的地震监测手段。 本文分析夏垫断裂带上观测井的同震响应特征, 探讨观测井水位、 水温同震变化对夏垫断裂带的影响机理, 收集和整理布设在夏垫断裂带上的赵各庄井和西集井两口观测井水位和水温同震响应资料, 从响应的地震次数及发震位置、 异常幅度、 时间和形态类型等方面对其响应特征进行分析, 从震中距、 震级和井-含水层岩性等方面探讨了地下流体地震前兆异常的成因。 结果显示, 赵各庄井和西集井水位地震响应能力强于水温, 响应形态以振荡型为主, 对于M_S7.0以上地震具有显著的映震能力。 在水温资料中, 仅有赵各庄井对2008年汶川M_S8.0地震有响应, 响应幅度为0.0129℃。 综合分析认为, 井-含水层岩性影响了两井同震响应形态特征, 远场大地震产生的动态应变导致了较大的水位变幅。     

昌黎井数字化水温资料分析

昌黎井数字化水温具有比较规律的多年变化动态趋势,整理水温资料,分析水温前兆异常变化,得出水温变化机理和映震机理,为今后充分发掘地震前兆信息提供帮助。     

The hydrothermal system of Nevado del Ruiz volcano,Colombia

Hot springs and steam vents on the slopes of Nevado del Ruiz volcano provide evidence regarding the nature of hydrothermal activity within the summit and flanks of the volcano. At elevations below 3000 m, alkali-chloride water is discharged from two groups of boiling springs and several isolated warm springs on the western slope of Nevado del Ruiz. Chemical and isotopic geothermometers suggest that the boiling springs are fed by an aquifer having a subsurface equilibration temperature of at least 175°C, and the sampled warm spring is fed by an aquifer having a subsurface equilibration temperature near 150°C. Similarities in conservative solute ratios (e.g., B/Cl) indicate that the alkali-chloride waters may be related to a single reservoir at depth. Isotopic ratios of hydrogen and oxygen indicate that recharge for the alkali-chloride aquifers comes mostly from higher elevations on the volcano. Steam vents and steam-heated bicarbonate-sulfate springs at higher elevations, along a linear structural trend with the alkali-chloride springs, may be derived partly from the alkali-chloride water at depth by boiling. Steam from the vents (84°C) yields a gas geothermometer temperature of 209°C. Acid-sulfate-chloride and acid-sulfate waters are discharged widely from warm springs above 3000 m on the northern and eastern slopes of Nevado del Ruiz. Similarities in B/Cl and SO₄/Cl ratios suggest that the acid waters are mixtures of water from an acid-sulfate-chloride reservoir with various proportions of shallow, dilute groundwater. The major source of sulfate, halogens, and acidity for the acid waters may be high-temperature magmatic gases. Available data on hot spring temperatures and compositions indicate that they have remained fairly stable since 1968. However, the eruption of November 13, 1985 apparently caused an increase in sulfate concentration in some of the acid springs that peaked about a year after the eruption. Long-term monitoring of hot spring compositions over many years will be required to better define the effects of volcanic activity on the Nevado del Ruiz hydrothermal system.     

2015年尼泊尔MS8.1地震引起的井水位与井水温同震效应及其相关性分析

尼泊尔M_S8.1地震引起中国大陆大量地震观测井水位和水温的同震响应. 从宏观结果看, 在54个同时存在水位和水温同震效应的观测井中, 有51口观测井的变化类型为水位上升-水温上升、 水位下降-水温下降、 水位振荡-水温上升或下降(以下降为主), 井水位与井水温同震效应表现出良好的相关性, 这可能与地下水动力学作用有关; 有3口观测井的水位变化与水温变化方向相反, 且水温变化均为震后效应. 另外, 有1口观测井水位无变化而水温同震效应明显. 这些不同类型的同震变化与井孔条件、 水温梯度、 传感器位置及水位埋深等多种因素有关. 从微观结果看, 井水位同震效应出现的时间及变化幅度与井水温同震效应出现的时间及变化幅度之间的关联性比较复杂, 这与井孔条件和温度梯度等因素有关.      

基于水化学的永清井水温异常分析

在地下流体研究中,判定地下水异常的首要任务是区别地下水是受浅层物质补给的影响还是受深层介质活动的影响。本文通过对永清井及周边多次样品采集与测试,获得水化学组分和氢氧稳定同位素观测数据;通过对地下水样品数据对比分析、水化学组分及氢氧稳定同位素与大气降水线、水温数据分析,认为永清井水温的多次异常变化不是受干扰影响;通过对水温的异常变化与地震的对应关系的分析,认为永清井水温异常可能与3次地震有关。      

唐山地震前近震中区地电阻率的震前突变现象

1976年唐山地震前,在距震中250公里范围內已经建立了16个地电台站。震前10天内有几个台站地电阻率在较平静的趋势背景值上出现大幅度突变异常,尽管这些台站占少数,但却集中分布在发震的沧东断裂附近。 根据唐山地震震源机制解结果,以及发震构造和地下水位变化的实际资料说明,地电阻率突变异常的空间分布与唐山地震断层面是一致的,与震前地下水位变化异常带也是吻合的,地下水震前变化在时间上与地电阻率突变的出现是同步的。      

云南地区震前地下流体异常特征统计分析

依据 《中国震例》 资料,统计分析了云南地区1966—2006年M_S≥5.0地震的地下流体测项异常,结果表明:超过70%的水位和水温震前异常表现为上升,水氡和水位异常出现时间最早;震级越大相应的流体异常范围就越大;大多数震前流体异常会持续到地震发生,说明流体异常与震前地壳活动有关,并据此得出云南地区地震发生时间及异常检测井至震中距离的经验性边界方程。分类汇总云南地区地下流体测项的异常形态,识别出该地区地下流体异常的5种主要异常形态,即趋势转折类、周期类、突变类、阈值类和综合类,并举例阐明了各种异常形态的特征及其可能的成因。本文研究结果对于认识云南地区流体异常特征以及提升流体异常应用水平具有一定的参考意义。      

三峡井网地下流体动态与映震能力的初步分析

系统分析了三峡井网 8口井水位、4口井水温和 4个井台土氡 2 0 0 1年的观测数据 ,建立了各个测项的正常动态 ,并检验了其各自的映震能力。结果表明 ,8口井水位均有固体潮显示 ,其对地壳体应变的响应灵敏度为 10 - 9～ 10 - 10 体应变 /mm。井水位大多有气压效应 ,并受一定程度的降雨干扰。 4口井的水温动态相对平稳 ,日变幅一般为千分之几度。 4个井台的土氡动态起伏较大 ,变化范围在几到几十Bq/L之间。在 2 0 0 1年 10月 16日秭归县梅家河ML3 6地震前 ,有 6口井水位、1口井水温和 1个井台的土氡有异常显示 ,表明三峡井网具有较强的映震能力     

Change in the heat regime of the Pauzhetka geothermal system in Kamchatka as a result of exploitation

The Pauzhetka geothermal system is located in a volcano-tectonic depression near the active volcano Kambalny.Temperatures at depths of 300–800 m are 180°–210°C. The exploitation of productive horizons with a withdrawal of 130–160 kg/s commenced in 1966.A noticeable lowering of the enthalpy in the wells was observed during the exploitation period. Analysis of temperature and pressure variations in the reservoir using heat-mass transfer equations gives an estimation of the heat and water resources supplied from the interior of the system to the area under exploitation. The value of the water resources supplied from the depth is 85 kg/s on the average, the rest of the water being supplied from the peripheral colder parts of the reservoir.These estimates lead to the conclusion that the utilization of hydrothermal systems associated with active volcanoes is accompanied by recoverability of cold water from the surrounding rocks that may influence substantially their heat regime.     

Subsurface Temperature Changes Due to the Crustal Magmatic Activity – Numerical Simulation

Geothermal aspects of the hypothesis, relating the earthquake swarms in the West Bohemia/Vogtland seismoactive region to magmatic activity, are addressed. A simple 1-D geothermal model of the crust was used to assess the upper limit of the subsurface heating caused by magma intrusion at the assumed focal depth of 9 km. We simulated the process by solving the transient heat conduction equation numerically, considering the heat of magma crystallization to be gradually released in the temperature interval 1100°C to 900°C. The temperature field prior to the intrusion was in steady-state with a surface temperature of 10°C and heat flow of 80 mWm ^–2 , the temperature at the 9 km depth was 270°C. The results suggest that the temperature and heat flow in the uppermost 1 km of the crust begin to grow 100 ka after the intrusion emplacement only, and that the amplitudes of the changes for the realistic lateral extent (a few kilometres) of the intrusion are very small. It was also found that the rate of magma solidification depends strongly on the thickness of the intrusion. It takes about 100 years for a 50 m thick sill to cool down from 1100°C to 600°C, which value represents the lower limit of the solidus temperature. The same cooling takes only 60 days if the sill is 2 m thick. If the nature of the strongly reflected boundaries, interpreted from the January 1997 Nový Kostel seismograms, is connected with the fresh emplacement of magma, the calculated cooling rates have a predictive potential for the temporal changes of the waveforms.     

北京太平庄井地下水物理动态研究

根据太平庄井地下水水位、流量、水温等物理动态特征，探讨了三项潮汐动态（水位、流量、水温）、洼地积水倒压传递效应、截流效应、水温同震阶降动态、震前流量突变异常动态等微观动态及其与地震的关系。最后讨论了三项潮汐动态机理，认为太平庄井对地震监测预报，特别是首都圈地震监测预报有重要作用     

Time series decomposition of groundwater level changes in wells due to the Chi‐Chi earthquake in Taiwan: a possible hydrological precursor to earthquakes

The largest and most disastrous earthquake in Taiwan (Mw: 7·3) in the 20th century, the Chi‐Chi earthquake, hit central Taiwan at 01:47 local time on September 21, 1999. The groundwater level changes were rapid at that time. Studies have found that the rapid change in groundwater levels was a co‐seismic phenomenon. This work analyzes the possibility that the abnormal change in groundwater levels may have occurred before the earthquake. Three well stations with a total of five wells are considered. They are all near the Che‐Lung‐Pu fault, which caused the Chi‐Chi earthquake. The time series decomposition method was applied to decompose the seasonal groundwater level, the trend in groundwater levels, and the period of the change in the groundwater level. Residual groundwater levels were found by subtracting the determined seasonal, trend and period data from corresponding data for the original groundwater level. The computed residual water levels in July, August and September of 1999, were transformed into a frequency spectrum by a Fourier method. Additionally, the effects of barometric pressures on the groundwater level changes were also evaluated. Analytical results show that the spectral density functions of the irregular groundwater level in the confined aquifer at the Chu‐Shan well in September behaved differently from those in July and August. We posit that a pre‐seismic hydrogeological anomaly may have existed before the Chi‐Chi earthquake, and can be considered in future studies of anomalies associated with earthquakes. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Impact of water withdrawals from groundwater and surface water on continental water storage variations

Humans have strongly impacted the global water cycle, not only water flows but also water storage. We have performed a first global-scale analysis of the impact of water withdrawals on water storage variations, using the global water resources and use model WaterGAP. This required estimation of fractions of total water withdrawals from groundwater, considering five water use sectors. According to our assessment, the source of 35% of the water withdrawn worldwide (4300 km³/year during 1998–2002) is groundwater. Groundwater contributes 42%, 36% and 27% of water used for irrigation, households and manufacturing, respectively, while we assume that only surface water is used for livestock and for cooling of thermal power plants. Consumptive water use was 1400 km³/year during 1998–2002. It is the sum of the net abstraction of 250 km³/year of groundwater (taking into account evapotranspiration and return flows of withdrawn surface water and groundwater) and the net abstraction of 1150 km³/year of surface water. Computed net abstractions indicate, for the first time at the global scale, where and when human water withdrawals decrease or increase groundwater or surface water storage. In regions with extensive surface water irrigation, such as Southern China, net abstractions from groundwater are negative, i.e. groundwater is recharged by irrigation. The opposite is true for areas dominated by groundwater irrigation, such as in the High Plains aquifer of the central USA, where net abstraction of surface water is negative because return flow of withdrawn groundwater recharges the surface water compartments. In intensively irrigated areas, the amplitude of seasonal total water storage variations is generally increased due to human water use; however, in some areas, it is decreased. For the High Plains aquifer and the whole Mississippi basin, modeled groundwater and total water storage variations were compared with estimates of groundwater storage variations based on groundwater table observations, and with estimates of total water storage variations from the GRACE satellites mission. Due to the difficulty in estimating area-averaged seasonal groundwater storage variations from point observations of groundwater levels, it is uncertain whether WaterGAP underestimates actual variations or not. We conclude that WaterGAP possibly overestimates water withdrawals in the High Plains aquifer where impact of human water use on water storage is readily discernible based on WaterGAP calculations and groundwater observations. No final conclusion can be drawn regarding the possibility of monitoring water withdrawals in the High Plains aquifer using GRACE. For the less intensively irrigated Mississippi basin, observed and modeled seasonal groundwater storage reveals a discernible impact of water withdrawals in the basin, but this is not the case for total water storage such that water withdrawals at the scale of the whole Mississippi basin cannot be monitored by GRACE.     

Analysis of groundwater–lake interaction by distributed temperature sensing in Badain Jaran Desert,Northwest China

The Badain Jaran Desert is the second largest desert of China with a total area of 49 200 km². At least 72 perennial lakes are scattered throughout the desert, sustaining a unique desert–lake ecosystem. Groundwater of various origins was believed to play an essential role in maintaining those desert lakes, but hydrological measurements are lacking due to difficult field conditions. This study applied the distributed temperature sensing technique to continuously measure temperature variations in one of the desert lakes – the Badain Lake – to identify groundwater discharge to the lake based on the temperature differences between groundwater and lake water. Because temperature may be influenced by various unforeseen and temporary factors, it is critical to discern those factors that may affect the temperature such as solar radiation and vertical temperature stratification and to ensure that the temperature variations of the lake water as detected by the distributed temperature sensing are mainly caused by groundwater discharge. A time window was identified during which the groundwater discharge is the dominant factor that determines the temperature pattern of the lake water. The results show that the temperature near the eastern and southeastern lakeshore of the eastern Badain Lake is colder than the average, indicating that this area is the main groundwater discharge zone. Near the northwestern lakeshore adjacent to a sand dune, a weak cold abnormal area was identified, indicating that the sand dune is another recharge source to the lake through channelling the local precipitation toward the lake. The contribution from the sand dune, however, appeared to be less than that from the regional groundwater flow. This study provides the first identification of the temperature abnormal areas, which imply groundwater discharges into desert lakes and contributes to a better understanding of the unique desert–lake ecosystem. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Groundwater Impacts from the M5.8 Earthquake in Korea as Determined by Integrated Monitoring Systems

This paper describes the impacts of the M5.8(5.1) Gyeongju earthquakes on groundwater levels using data obtained from a unique coastal monitoring well. The monitoring strategy integrates conventional water level monitoring with periodic, continuous measurements of temperature and electrical conductivity (EC) within the water column of the well. Another important component of the monitoring system is a new instrument, the InterfacEGG, which is capable of dynamically tracking the freshwater-saltwater interface. Although the system was set up to monitor seawater intrusion related to over-pumping, as well as rainfall and tidal effects, it recorded impacts associated with a large earthquake and aftershocks approximately 241 km away. Seismic energies associated with the M5.8(5.1) Gyeongju earthquakes induced groundwater flows to the monitoring well through fractures and joints in the crystalline basement rocks. Temperature and EC logging data showed that the EC vertical profile declined from an average of approximately 5300 to 4800 μS/cm following the earthquakes. The temperature profile showed a trend toward lower temperatures as the depth increased, a feature not commonly observed in previous studies. Data from the InterfacEGG suggested that the rise in EC was not due to the saltwater intrusion, but from the tendency for brackish water entering the borehole to induce convective mixing at deeper depths as the seismic waves travel through the well-aquifer system. The increase in groundwater levels was caused by pulse of colder, less brackish water flowing into the well because of the earthquake. This behavior reflects an enhancement in rock permeability by removing precipitates and colloidal particles from clogged fractures, which improve the hydraulic connection with a nearby unit with a higher hydraulic head. This study suggests there is value added with a more aggressive monitoring strategy.     

Satellite based estimates of terrestrial water storage variations in Turkey

In recent years, the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) has provided a new tool to study terrestrial water storage variations (TWS) at medium and large spatial scales, providing quantitative measures of TWS change. Linear trends in TWS variations in Turkey were estimated using GRACE observations for the period March 2003 to March 2009. GRACE showed a significant decrease in TWS in the southern part of the central Anatolian region up to a rate of 4 cm/year. The Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS) model also captured this TWS decrease event but with underestimated trend values. The GLDAS model represents only a part of the total TWS variations, the sum of soil moisture (2 m column depth) and snow water equivalent, ignoring groundwater variations. Therefore, GLDAS model derived TWS variations were subtracted from GRACE derived TWS variations to estimate groundwater storage variations. Results revealed that decreasing trends of TWS observed by GRACE in the southern part of central Anatolia were largely explained by the decreasing trends of groundwater variations which were confirmed by the limited available well groundwater level data in the region.     

The 1995 Northern Niigata Earthquake with special attention to a geopressured hydrothermal system

The 1995 Northern Niigata Earthquake of magnitude (M) 5.5 occurred at the eastern margin of the Niigata seismic gap and might have been a precursor of a large destructive earthquake. The anomaly areas in temperature, electrical conductivity and Cl^- concentration of groundwater were approximately coincident with the area of the seismic intensity 6 on the Japan Meteorological Agency scale, and convincingly demonstrated the presence of a buried active fault beneath the epicentral area, as was suggested by a linear distribution of seismic intensity 6. These anomalies of groundwater were created by the expulsion of geopressured hydrothermal water along an active fault. Anomalies in local groundwater and hotspring systems associated with the earthquake and the proximity of the earthquake to the Niitsu oil field led to an interpretation that the earthquake might have been triggered by activity within the geopressured hydrothermal system. The accumulation of geopressured hydrothermal water in combination with high rock temperature might reduce fracture strength of the rock, and trigger earthquake occurrence.     

北京塔院井数字化观测水温的同震效应研究

基于北京塔院井数字化水温观测资料,分析了远震引起的水温同震效应,注意到塔院井水温同震变化总是具有下降－上升－恢复的过程,不受地震方位和震源机制的影响;水温同震下降幅度随震级的增大而增大,随震中距的增大而减小, 三者之间有较好的关系;震后水温后效恢复上升幅值受水位动态影响. 最后,对塔院井水温同震效应机理进行了探讨,初步研究结果显示,井孔中的水体受震荡激发而加速对流与掺混是导致水温先下降的主要原因:当井水受到地震波的作用时,对流加速,井内深部较热的水体上涌, 而浅部较冷的水体下沉,水温探头将先观测到温度下降现象; 震后水震波逐渐平息,探头附近井水温逐步恢复上升.