Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-g7gxr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-08T02:29:52.588Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

2 - Hydrological processes, groundwater recharge and surface-water/groundwater interactions in arid and semi-arid areas

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 December 2010

Howard S. Wheater
Affiliation:
Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London
Simon A. Mathias
Affiliation:
University of Durham
Xin Li
Affiliation:
Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
Get access

Summary

GROUNDWATER RESOURCES, GROUNDWATER MODELLING AND THE QUANTIFICATION OF RECHARGE

The traditional development of water resources in arid areas has relied heavily on the use of groundwater. Groundwater uses natural storage, is spatially distributed and, in climates where potential evaporation rates can be of the order of metres per year, provides protection from the high evaporation losses experienced by surface-water systems. Traditional methods for the exploitation of groundwater have been varied, including the use of very shallow groundwater in seasonally replenished riverbed aquifers (as in the sand rivers of Botswana), the channelling of unconfined alluvial groundwater in afalaj (or qanats) in Oman and Iran, and the use of hand-dug wells. Historically, abstraction rates were limited by the available technology, and rates of development were low, so that exploitation was generally sustainable.

However, in recent decades, pump capacities have dramatically increased and hence agricultural use of water has grown rapidly, while the increasing concentration of populations in urban areas has meant that large-scale well fields have been developed for urban water supply. A common picture in arid areas is that groundwater levels are in rapid decline; in many instances this is accompanied by decreasing water quality, particularly in coastal aquifers where saline intrusion is a threat. Associated with population growth, economic development and increased agricultural intensification, pollution has also become an increasing problem. The integrated assessment and management of groundwater resources is essential so that aquifer systems can be protected from pollution and over-exploitation.

Type
Chapter
Information
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2010

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Allison, G. B. and Hughes, M. W. (1978) The use of environmental chloride and tritium to estimate total recharge to an unconfined aquifer. Aust. J. Soil Res. 16, 181–195.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Al-Qurashi, A., McIntyre, N., Wheater, H. and Unkrich, C. (2008) Application of the Kineros2 rainfall-runoff model to an arid catchment in Oman. J. Hydrol. 355, 91–105.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Andersen, N. J., Wheater, H. S., Timmis, A. J. H. and Gaongalelwe, D. (1998). Sustainable development of alluvial groundwater in sand rivers of Botswana. In Sustainability of Water Resources under Increasing Uncertainty, IAHS Publ. 240, 367–376.Google Scholar
Bromley, J., Edmunds, W. M., Fellman, E. et al. (1997) Estimation of rainfall inputs and direct recharge to the deep unsaturated zone of southern Niger using the chloride profile method. J. Hydrol. 188–189, 139–154.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chandler, R. E. and Wheater, H. S. (2002) Analysis of rainfall variability using generalized linear models: a case study from the West of Ireland. Water Resour. Res. 38(10), 1192, 10–1–10–11.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cordery, I., Pilgrim, D. H. and Doran, D. G. (1983) Some hydrological characteristics of arid western New South Wales. The Institution of Engineers, Australia, Hydrology and Water Resources Symp., Nov. 1983.Google Scholar
Cox, D. R. and Isham, V. (1988) A simple spatial–temporal model of rainfall, Proc. Roy. Soc. A415, 317–328.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Crerar, S., Fry, R. G., Slater, P. M., Langenhove, G. and Wheeler, D. (1988) An unexpected factor affecting recharge from ephemeral river flows in SWA/Namibia. In Estimation of Natural Groundwater Recharge, ed. Simmers, I., 11–28. D. Reidel.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Deardorff, J. W. (1977) A parameterization of ground-surface moisture content for use in atmospheric prediction models. J. Applied. Meteorol. 16, 1182–1185.2.0.CO;2>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Desconnets, J. C., Taupin, J. D., Lebel, T. and Leduc, C. (1997) Hydrology of the HAPEX-Sahel Central Super-Site: surface water drainage and aquifer recharge through the pool systems. J. Hydrol. 188–189, 155–178.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Flint, A. L., Flint, L. E., Kwicklis, E. M., Fabryka-Martin, J. T. and Bodvarsson, G. S. (2002) Estimating recharge at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, USA: comparison of methods. Hydrogeology Journal 10, 180–204.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
,Food and Agriculture Organization (1981) Arid zone hydrology for agricultural development. Irrig. Drain. Pap. 37. FAO.Google Scholar
Goodrich, D. C., Lane, L. J., Shillito, R. M.et al. (1997) Linearity of basin response as a function of scale in a semi-arid watershed. Water Resour. Res., 33(12), 2951–2965.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Goodrich, D. C., Williams, D. G., Unkrich, C. L.et al. (2004) Comparison of methods to estimate ephemeral channel recharge, Walnut Gulch, San Pedro River Basin, Arizona. In Groundwater Recharge in a Desert Environment. The Southwestern United States, ed. Hogan, J. F., Phillips, F. M. and Scanlon, B. R., 77–99. Water Science and Application 9, American Geophysical Union.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Goutorbe, J. P., Dolman, A. J., Gash, J. H. C.et al. (eds) (1997) HAPEX-Sahel. Elsevier (reprinted from J. Hydrol. 188–189, 1–4).
Hellwig, D. H. R. (1973) Evaporation of water from sand. 3. The loss of water into the atmosphere from a sandy river bed under arid climatic condtions. J. Hydrol. 18, 305–316.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hughes, D. A. (1995) Monthly rainfall-runoff models applied to arid and semiarid catchments for water resource estimation purposes. Hydr. Sci. J. 40(6), 751–769.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hughes, D. A. and Sami, K. (1992) Transmission losses to alluvium and associated moisture dynamics in a semiarid ephemeral channel system in Southern Africa. Hydrological Processes, 6, 45–53.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jordan, P. R. (1977) Streamflow transmission losses in Western Kansas. Jnl of Hydraulics Division, ASCE, 108, HY8, 905–919.Google Scholar
Kenabatho, P. K., McIntyre, N. R. and Wheater, H. S. (2008) Application of generalised linear models for rainfall simulations in semi arid areas: a case study from the Upper Limpopo basin in north east Botswana. 10th BHS National Hydrology Symposium, Exeter, Sept. 2008.
Lane, L. J., Diskin, M. H. and Renard, K. G. (1971) Input–output relationships for an ephemeral stream channel system. J. Hydrol. 13, 22–40.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lebel, T., Taupin, J. D. and D'Amato, N. (1997) Rainfall monitoring during HAPEX-Sahel. 1. General rainfall conditions and climatology. J. Hydrol. 188–189, 74–96.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lebel, T. and Barbe, L. (1997) Rainfall monitoring during HAPEX-Sahel. 2. Point and areal estimation at the event and seasonal scales. J. Hydrol. 188–189, 97–122.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Liu, B., Phillips, F., Hoines, S., Campbell, A. R. and Sharma, P. (1995) Water movement in desert soil traced by hydrogen and oxygen isotopes, chloride, and chlorine-36, southern Arizona. J. Hydrol. 168, 91–110.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Macmillan, L. C. (1987) Regional evaporation and soil moisture analysis for irrigation application in arid areas. Univ. London MSc thesis, Dept of Civil Engineering, Imperial College.Google Scholar
McIntyre, N., Al-Qurashi, A. and Wheater, H. S. (2007) Regression analysis of rainfall-runoff data from an arid catchment in Oman. Hydrological Sciences Journal 52(6), 1103–1118, Dec. 2007.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McMahon, T. A. (1979) Hydrological characteristics of arid zones. Proceedings of a Symposium on the Hydrology of Areas of Low Precipitation, Canberra. IAHS Publ. 128, 105–123.Google Scholar
Michaud, J. D. and Sorooshian, S. (1994) Effect of rainfall-sampling errors on simulations of desert flash floods. Water Resour. Res. 30(10), 2765–2775.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mirshahi, B., Onof, C. J. and Wheater, H. S. (2008) Spatial–temporal daily rainfall simulation for a semi-arid area in Iran: a preliminary evaluation of generalised linear models. Proc. 10th BHS National Hydrology Symposium, Exeter, Sept. 2008.
Mocke, R. (1998) Modelling the sand-rivers of Botswana – distributed modelling of runoff and groundwater recharge processes to assess the sustainability of rural water supplies. Univ. London MSc thesis, Dept of Civil Engineering, Imperial College.Google Scholar
Morin, J. and Benyamini, Y. (1977) Rainfall infiltration into bare soils. Water. Resour. Res. 13(5), 813–817.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Morin, J., Rosenfeld, D. and Amitai, E. (1995) Radar rain field evaluation and possible use of its high temporal and spatial resolution for hydrological purposes. J. Hydrol. 172, 275–292.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nemec, J. and Rodier, J. A. (1979) Streamflow characteristics in areas of low precipitation. Proceedings of a Symposium on the Hydrology of Areas of Low Precipitation, Canberra. IAHS Publ. 128, 125–140.Google Scholar
Northrop, P. J. (1998) A clustered spatial–temporal model of rainfall. Proc. Roy. Soc. A454, 1875–1888.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Northrop, P. J., Chandler, R. E., Isham, V. S., Onof, C. and Wheater, H. S. (1999) Spatial–temporal stochastic rainfall modelling for hydrological design. In Hydrological Extremes: Understanding, Predicting, Mitigating, ed. Gottschalk, L., Olivry, J.-C., Reed, D. and Rosbjerg, D.. IAHS Publ. 255, 225–235.Google Scholar
Onof, C. and Wheater, H. S. (1993) Modelling of British rainfall using a random parameter Bartlett-Lewis rectangular pulse model. J. Hydrol. 149, 67–95.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Onof, C. and Wheater, H. S. (1994) Improvements of the modelling of British rainfall using a modified random parameter Bartlett-Lewis rectangular pulse model. J. Hydrol. 157, 177–195.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Osborn, H. B. and Reynolds, W. N. (1963) Convective storm patterns in the Southwestern United States. Bull. IASH 8(3), 71–83.Google Scholar
Osborn, H. B., Lane, L. J. and Hundley, J. F. (1972) Optimum gaging of thunderstorm rainfall in southeastern Arizona, Water Resour. Res. 8(1), 259–265.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Osborn, H. B., Renard, K. G. and Simanton, J. R. (1979) Dense networks to measure convective rainfalls in the Southwestern United States. Water Resour. Res. 15(6), 1701–1711.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Parissopoulos, G. A. and Wheater, H. S. (1990) Numerical study of the effects of layers on unsaturated-saturated two-dimensional flow. Water Resources Mgmt. 4, 97–122.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Parissopoulos, G. A., and Wheater, H. S. (1991) Effects of evaporation on groundwater recharge from ephemeral flows. In Advances in Water Resources Technology, ed. Tsakiris, G. and Balkema, A. A., 235–245, Balkema.Google Scholar
Parrisopoulos, G. A., and Wheater, H. S. (1992a) Experimental and numerical infiltration studies in a wadi stream-bed. J. Hydr. Sci. 37, 27–37.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Parissopoulos, G. A., and Wheater, H. S. (1992b) Effects of hysteresis on groundwater recharge from ephemeral flows. Water Resour. Res. 28(11), 3055–3061.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pilgrim, D. H., Chapman, T. G. and Doran, D. G. (1988) Problems of rainfall-runoff modelling in arid and semi-arid regions. Hydrol. Sci. J. 33(4), 379–400.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rodriguez-Iturbe, I., Cox, D. R. and Isham, V. (1987) Some models for rainfall based on stochastic point processes. Proc. Roy. Soc. A410, 269–288.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rodriguez-Iturbe, I., Cox, D. R. and Isham, V. (1988) A point process model for rainfall: further developments. Proc. Roy. Soc. A417, 283–298.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Samuel, C. R. (1999) Stochastic rainfall modelling of convective storms in Walnut Gulch, Arizona. Univ. London PhD Thesis.Google Scholar
Dames, Saudi Arabian and Moore, (1988) Representative Basins Study. Final Report to Ministry of Agriculture and Water, Riyadh, 84 vols.
Sharma, K. D. (1997) Integrated and sustainable development of water resources of the Luni basin in the Indian arid zone. In Sustainability of Water Resources under Increasing Uncertainty. IAHS Publ. 240, 385–393.Google Scholar
Sharma, K. D. (1998) Resource assessment and holistic management of the Luni River Basin in the Indian desert. In Hydrology in a Changing Environment, Vol 2, ed. Wheater, H. and Kirby, C., 387–395, Wiley.Google Scholar
Sorey, M. L. and Matlock, W. G. (1969) Evaporation from an ephemeral streambed. J. Hydraul. Div. Am. Soc. Civ. Eng. 95, 423–438.Google Scholar
Sorman, A. U. and Abdulrazzak, M. J. (1993) Infiltration–recharge through wadi beds in arid regions. Hydr. Sci. Jnl. 38(3), 173–186.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Telvari, A., Cordery, I. and Pilgrim, D. H. (1998) Relations between transmission losses and bed alluvium in an Australian arid zone stream. In Hydrology in a Changing Environment, Vol 2, ed. Wheater, H. and Kirby, C., 361–366, Wiley.Google Scholar
,UNDP (1992) Surface Water Resources. Final report to the Government of the Republic of Yemen High Water Council UNDP/DESD PROJECT YEM/88/001 Vol III, Jun. 1992.
Walters, M. O. (1990) Transmission losses in arid region. Jnl of Hydraulic Engineering 116(1), 127–138.Google Scholar
Wheater, H. S. and Bell, N. C. (1983) Northern Oman flood study. Proc. Instn. Civ. Engrs. Part 2, 75, 453–473.Google Scholar
Wheater, H. S., and Brown, R. P. C. (1989) Limitations of design hydrographs in arid areas – an illustration from southwest Saudi Arabia. Proc. 2nd Natl. BHS Symp. (1989), 3.49–3.56.
Wheater, H. S., Larentis, P. and Hamilton, G. S. (1989) Design rainfall characteristics for southwest Saudi Arabia. Proc. Inst. Civ. Eng., Part 2, 87, 517–538.Google Scholar
Wheater, H. S., Butler, A. P., Stewart, E. J. and Hamilton, G. S. (1991a) A multivariate spatial–temporal model of rainfall in S.W. Saudi Arabia. I. Data characteristics and model formulation. J. Hydrol. 125, 175–199.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wheater, H. S., Jolley, T. J. and Peach, D. (1995) A water resources simulation model for groundwater recharge studies: an application to Wadi Ghulaji, Sultanate of Oman. In Proc. Intl. Conf. on Water Resources Management in Arid Countries (Muscat), 502–510.
Wheater, H. S., Woods Ballard, B. and Jolley, T. J. (1997) An integrated model of arid zone water resources: evaluation of rainfall-runoff simulation performance. In Sustainability of Water Resources under Increasing Uncertainty, IAHS Publ. 240, 395–405.Google Scholar
Wilson, J. L. and Guan, H. (2004) Mountain-block hydrology and Mountain-front recharge. In Groundwater Recharge in a Desert Environment. The Southwestern United States, ed. Hogan, J. F., Phillips, F. M. and Scanlon, B. R., 113–137. Water Science and Application 9, American Geophysical Union.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yang, C., Chandler, R. E., Isham, V. S. and Wheater, H. S. (2005) Spatial–temporal rainfall simulation using generalized linear models. Water Resources Research, 41, W11415, doi 10.1029/2004 WR003739.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×