Sandra Armengol, Hoori Ajami, Juan S. Acero Triana, James O'Sickman, Lucia Ortega
{"title":"Isogeochemical Characterization of Mountain System Recharge Processes in the Sierra Nevada, California","authors":"Sandra Armengol, Hoori Ajami, Juan S. Acero Triana, James O'Sickman, Lucia Ortega","doi":"10.1029/2023wr035719","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Mountain System Recharge processes are significant natural recharge pathways in many arid and semi-arid mountainous regions. However, Mountain System Recharge processes are often poorly understood and characterized in hydrologic models. Mountains are the primary water supply source to valley aquifers via lateral groundwater flow from the mountain block (Mountain Block Recharge) and focused recharge from mountain streams contributing to focused Mountain Front Recharge at the piedmont zone. Here, we present a multi-tool isogeochemical approach to characterize mountain flow paths and Mountain System Recharge in the northern Tulare Basin, California. We used groundwater chemistry data to delineate hydrochemical facies and explain the chemical evolution of groundwater from the Sierra Nevada to the Central Valley aquifer. Stable isotopes and radiogenic groundwater tracers validated Mountain System Recharge processes by differentiating focused from diffuse recharge, and estimating apparent groundwater age, respectively. Novel application of End-Member Mixing Analysis using conservative chemical components revealed three Mountain System Recharge end-members: (a) evaporated Ca-HCO<sub>3</sub> water type associated with focused Mountain Front Recharge, (b) non-evaporated Ca-HCO<sub>3</sub> and Na-HCO<sub>3</sub> water types with short residence times associated with shallow Mountain Block Recharge, and (c) Na-HCO<sub>3</sub> groundwater type with long residence time associated with deep Mountain Block Recharge. We quantified the contribution of each Mountain System Recharge process to the valley aquifer by calculating mixing ratios. Our results show that deep Mountain Block Recharge is a significant recharge component, representing 31%–53% of the valley groundwater. Greater hydraulic connectivity between the Sierra Nevada and Central Valley has significant implications for parameterizing groundwater flow models. Our framework is useful for understanding Mountain System Recharge processes in other snow-dominated mountain watersheds.","PeriodicalId":23799,"journal":{"name":"Water Resources Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.6000,"publicationDate":"2024-07-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Water Resources Research","FirstCategoryId":"89","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2023wr035719","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Mountain System Recharge processes are significant natural recharge pathways in many arid and semi-arid mountainous regions. However, Mountain System Recharge processes are often poorly understood and characterized in hydrologic models. Mountains are the primary water supply source to valley aquifers via lateral groundwater flow from the mountain block (Mountain Block Recharge) and focused recharge from mountain streams contributing to focused Mountain Front Recharge at the piedmont zone. Here, we present a multi-tool isogeochemical approach to characterize mountain flow paths and Mountain System Recharge in the northern Tulare Basin, California. We used groundwater chemistry data to delineate hydrochemical facies and explain the chemical evolution of groundwater from the Sierra Nevada to the Central Valley aquifer. Stable isotopes and radiogenic groundwater tracers validated Mountain System Recharge processes by differentiating focused from diffuse recharge, and estimating apparent groundwater age, respectively. Novel application of End-Member Mixing Analysis using conservative chemical components revealed three Mountain System Recharge end-members: (a) evaporated Ca-HCO3 water type associated with focused Mountain Front Recharge, (b) non-evaporated Ca-HCO3 and Na-HCO3 water types with short residence times associated with shallow Mountain Block Recharge, and (c) Na-HCO3 groundwater type with long residence time associated with deep Mountain Block Recharge. We quantified the contribution of each Mountain System Recharge process to the valley aquifer by calculating mixing ratios. Our results show that deep Mountain Block Recharge is a significant recharge component, representing 31%–53% of the valley groundwater. Greater hydraulic connectivity between the Sierra Nevada and Central Valley has significant implications for parameterizing groundwater flow models. Our framework is useful for understanding Mountain System Recharge processes in other snow-dominated mountain watersheds.
期刊介绍：
Water Resources Research (WRR) is an interdisciplinary journal that focuses on hydrology and water resources. It publishes original research in the natural and social sciences of water. It emphasizes the role of water in the Earth system, including physical, chemical, biological, and ecological processes in water resources research and management, including social, policy, and public health implications. It encompasses observational, experimental, theoretical, analytical, numerical, and data-driven approaches that advance the science of water and its management. Submissions are evaluated for their novelty, accuracy, significance, and broader implications of the findings.
京公网安备 11010802042870号
京ICP备2023020795号-1
分享
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：
扫码关注我们
