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Quantification of aquifer recharge distribution using environmental isotopes and regional hydrochemistry

A mathematical model is proposed to estimate annual recharge rates from various sources into an aquifer, based on chemical and isotopic data. The aquifer is divided into mixing cells. For each mixing cell, annual mass balance equations are written which express the conservation of water, dissolved chemicals, and stable environmental isotopes. These equations are solved simultaneously for unknown recharge rates by quadratic programming. A similar approach was used earlier to estimate inflows into a river reach which acts as a single mixing cell. The sensitivity of the model to input errors is analyzed by applying it to synthetic data corrupted by artificial noise. The ability of the model to deal with real data is illustrated by applying it to the semiarid Aravaipa basin in southern Arizona.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:arizona.edu/oai:arizona.openrepository.com:10150/191088
Date January 1984
CreatorsAdar, Eilon.
ContributorsNeuman, Shlomo P., Warrick, Arthur W., Simpson, Eugene S., Woolhiser, David A., Matlock, William G., Long, Austin
PublisherThe University of Arizona.
Source SetsUniversity of Arizona
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeDissertation-Reproduction (electronic), text
RightsCopyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author.

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