Kiersten Miranda
GEY712
1st Presentation Abstract
Infiltration processes in the Great Basin
The Great Basin is a closed drainage basin located in western North America.
It is further encompassed by the Basin and Range Province, named for its
alternating elongated valleys and north-south trending mountain ranges. This area
is considered a high altitude desert, with most valleys at about 4000 feet, and some
mountain peaks reaching 12,000 feet. No surface water leaves the basin; all
precipitation is transpired, evaporated, or infiltrated into groundwater. Carbonaterock aquifers underlie most of the basin, with varying permeability. Most
precipitation falls in the high elevations as snow, accumulating in snowpack that
locally runs off into adjacent valleys in the spring. This creates seasonal lakes that
slowly evaporate, leaving silty playas in the low-lying desert valleys. Basin-fill
materials in the valleys are typically the recharge areas (Welch, Bright, &
Knochenmus, 2007). This area is important to study because aquifers below the
surface have been identified as potential sources for urban needs. In order to
describe infiltration in the area, a water balance model will be used. Parameters of
the model will include precipitation, evapotranspiration, and infiltration. The
influence of snowpack, topography, and geology will also be analyzed as it relates to
infiltration in the study area. Hydrologic data from the Hamlin-Snake Valleys and
the Spring-Steptoe Valleys watersheds will be reviewed within the model
framework to evaluate the model. Understanding the infiltration process will better
enable the prediction of amounts of water infiltrating to recharge aquifers.
Jonathan Sarich
GEOL 712
September 12, 2010
Recharge does not always occur in the basins of the desert southwest but
when it does there are several methods used to quantify it. More often than not the
evapotranspiration exceeds precipitation on a yearly basis. Ivanpah basin in
Southern Nevada is not unique in this aspect. The water stored beneath this basin
has become a hot topic due to the recent push for clean renewable energy. In order
to accurately calculate the recharge of a basin many factors must be addressed first
such as, variations in precipitation, air temperature, root zone and soil properties,
faults and fractures, and hydrologic properties of geologic strata in the unsaturated
zone. Groundwater travel time from the surface to the water table can vary both
spatially and temporally due to variations in precipitation. Using tools such as GIS
and long-term weather station data can help aid in developing a model that can be
used to characterize the basin. Different types of methods have been used to
calculate the recharge potential of a basin. These include the Maxey-Eakin method,
Basin Characterization Model, and INFIL. The Maxey-Eakin method is by far the
simpliest and most widely used method used for calculating recharge in a basin.
Deciding on which method to use is dependant upon the data that can be acquired
for the basin in question. Since Ivanpah basin is located in a very remote portion of
the Mojave desert the Maxey-Eakin method may be the only method that can
accurately estimate the potential recharge.
Melanie Reed
Term Paper Abstract
Artificial Recharge
Artificial recharge of groundwater takes place as water is artificially captured from
runoff or other processes (fog harvesting, desalinization, etc.,) and diverted into the
groundwater system. This can be achieved by several different methods such as
spreading ponds, injection wells, french drains among others. Artificial recharge
can be implemented to act as storage for potable water, or as storage for
wastewater as well, it can also be used to prevent subsidence in areas where the
groundwater table has been depleted. In order to implement artificial recharge a
study must be made of; rates of infiltration of the vadose zone, composition of water
to be injected as well as composition of the existing groundwater (salinity,
chemistry, etc), depth to water table, potential contaminant exposure, an intricate
understanding of the means of recharge. Regional needs for artificial recharge may
vary from potable water storage in arid region, to prevention of saline intrusion into
fresh water table in coastal areas, to storage of waste from desalinization processes.
Each type of recharge employs different methods of infiltration and will be covered
in this presentation.
References:
Bouwer, Herman, 2002, Artificial Recharge of Groundwater: Hydrogeology and
Engineering, Hydrogeology Journal, Vol. 10, pp. 121-142.
Bouri, S., Dhia, H. B., 2010, A Thirty-Year Artificial Recharge Experiment in a coastal
Aquifer in an arid zone: the Teboula Aquifer System, Comptes Rendus Geoscience,
Vol. 342, pp. 60-74.
Mike Payne
Evapotranspiration Abstract:
Evapotranspiration (ET) is the portion of the hydrologic cycle where water that has been
absorbed by plants but not used is returned to the atmosphere. There are several key
factors to the rate of ET, many of which are common to the hydrologic cycle. Plant type,
density, and occurrence (domestic or natural) are several of the variable that are unique to
the development of ET values. But to understand ET thoroughly a basic understanding of
the interaction between the earth and the sun must be appreciated, once this link is
understood the variables in ET values across the globe can be anticipated and the role of
the plant itself more fully understood.
It is my intention to begin with the solar energy originating from the sun to show how the
earth’s atmosphere interacts as the first stage of the hydrologic cycle, initiating the
transmission of water across the planet. Once this is done, the geographic and geologic
elements that affect ET will be discussed on a very general scale to establish the
interrelationship with the other portions of the hydrologic cycle. The effects of latitude
and longitude on a plant system as well as the elevation are the primary components of
this portion of the presentation. Finally, local measurement and monitoring of ET and
the practical application of the theory presented previously will be discussed. An
understanding of the local application of ET and the influences on human interaction is
the goal of this presentation and will be the focus of the last section.
Christropher Evans
Abstract:
Water will infiltrate into a soil if the infiltration rate is greater than the intensity of a
precipitation event. Soil water content, porosity, and other factors will affect the
amount of water that is able to percolate into the subsurface. These factors can also
control the rate in which water infiltrates a particular soil. Surface water is not the
only substance that infiltrates into soils. Contaminants can also find their way into
the subsurface through infiltration. Differing types of contaminants are present on
the surface; including oils and grease, mine tailings, varying chemicals, and many
more. Surface water runoff can carry these contaminants onto a porous soil, leading
to contaminated water infiltration. Once in the soil, these contaminants have the
potential to reach the water table and pollute drinking water. Contaminated soils
are extremely difficult to remediate. Many different remediation techniques are
employed in cleaning polluted soils. My thesis aims to help determine the viability of
a new soil remediation technique.
THE RATIONAL METHOD HYDROLOGY
BY Shawntina Brown-Palmore
ABSTRACT
This paper explores the rational method and proposes its use as most practical in
the design and development of small infrastructure projects (with watershed basins
that are less than 300 acres). I believe that the evolution of computer technology
hasrevolutionized the study of hydrologic systems and water resources
management. However, the general state of popular opinion has many designers
and developers still relying on the “rational method and or modified rational
method” (rational method), which has been around since the 19th century. The
rational method shows the relationship between rainfall and stream flow through
manual techniques. It is the oldest and still most widely used method for storm
drainage design (Lee and Heaney, 2002). Computer-based applications in hydrologic
modeling and water resources provide distributed parameter modeling such as
Geographic information systems (GIS) and Hec-HMS (HEC), which provide
modernized presentations of spatial hydrology that often impress clients and
reviewers. There are still many designers who will uses computer applications and
methods for determining peak flows and storm sewer pipe sizes that are
extravagant and time-consuming for small projects. Distributed parameter models
generally have large input data requirements (R. JAYAKRISHNAN ET AL., 2004) and
may provide exorbitant cost to small projects. In contrast, the rational method may
be described as a lumped parameter model that simplifies the behavior of spatially
distributed physical systems into a topology consisting of discrete entities that
approximate the behavior of the distributed system under certain assumptions and
does not require or create large amounts of data. The rational method if derived
from the famous ‘rational formula’ for relating the peak flood to the catchment’s
‘time of concentration’ introduced by the world-renowned Irish Hydraulic Engineer,
T.J. Mulvany in 1851(Bhattarai, 2005). However, this formula would become
relevant in the United States much later when a massive federal dam-building and
flood control program was initiated during the New Deal in the 1930s (Water
Resources IMPACT, 2002). The methods of exploration used in this paper include a
case study comparison using HEC and GIS techniques. The information in this paper
demonstrate the more practical usefulness of rational method applications for small
watersheds, and reveal the strength of the rational method for analyzing different
management scenarios to minimize building cost. The rational method provides a
simple solution for determining rainfall and runoff as well as formulas to size pipe
diameters to accommodate the maximum anticipated storm.
Danney Glaser
Geophysical Applications for Watershed Storage Characterization
Understanding the current and available storage of aquifers within a watershed, as
well as the interconnectivity of adjacent aquifers, is critical to the compilation of an
accurate hydrologic model. To assess the current and available storage capacity of a
hydrologic model, depth to bedrock analyses are frequently completed. This
generally includes evaluation of local borehole information, and may incorporate
the acquisition of geophysical data. In the basin and range aquifer systems the
majority of storage lies within alluvium between the mountain valleys. In this
setting, multiple geophysical approaches have been implemented historically to
characterize watersheds, including gravity, electrical resistivity, seismic reflection,
and electromagnetics. The data can be used to delineate geologic controls on
subsurface water flow, including bedrock structure and competency, variations in
soil moisture content, variations in individual soil units, mapping of aquitards and
clay units, etc. The geophysical methods make use of contrasting physical
properties within the subsurface to image the controlling geologic framework which
subsequently controls the movement of water. Robinson et al 2006, present a
geophysical approach to watershed analysis and characterization implementing a
cross-scale methodology that integrates many different available geophysical
technologies. While Linde et al 2006, indicate how the methods can be used to
generate hydrogeolgic parameters. The pros and cons of the individual geophysical
methods are evaluated with regards to application, speed of acquisition, and data
density. A review of available geophysical approaches and their application to
watershed modeling is presented, with emphasis on estimation of storage
parameters.
Srijana Dawadi
Vadose Zone Hydrology
Vadose zone is the geologic media between land surface and saturated water table
zone where soil pores are unsaturated and partially filled with water. It is also called
Aeration zone. The upper portion of it is filled with soil root zone. This is the earth
layer which contains all three states of matter like solid, liquid and gas in the form of
organic matters (remains from dead and decay animals and plants), water and air,
water vapor respectively. (Daniel B. Stephens, Vadose Zone Hydrology, Vol . 1995)
Pressure, volume and temperature affect the vadose zone. The pressure in the
vadose zone is less than atmospheric pressure and hence the zone is under tension.
There are some vadose zones which are saturated. The vadose zone just above the
water table is saturated where water is filled up by capillary action where there is
tension. A part of vadose zone which is separated from water table by an
unsaturated zone is called to be perched zone. (Daniel B. Stephens, Vadose Zone
Hydrology, Vol . 1995)
Some of the applications of vadose zone are to investigate the salt leaching process
under subsurface irrigation, modeling of subsurface flow of wetlands (Taken from
power point presentation of Karletta Chief, DRI)
In this presentation, I will be focusing on Vadose zone and different physical process
acting on vadose zone and which governs the movement of water and particles in
this zone.
Julie Baumeister
Effects of Wildfire on Watershed Hydrology
Wildfires are a natural disturbance that is a growing hazard in the United
States, especially where urban or developed areas and native ecosystems meet. In
2004, for example, over 8 million acres of land were burned in wildfires in the U.S.
(USGS, 2006). In addition to the hazard posed by the fire itself, there can be many
other secondary effects. Watersheds can experience effects such as water-repellant
soil conditions, changes in infiltration and surface runoff, increased erosion, and
increased baseflow due to lost evapotranspiration (Ice et al., 2004; Moody and
Martin, 2001).
Pierson et al. (2001) is one study that looks at the effects of wildfire on watershed
processes. Rainfall simulations were conducted shortly following and one year after
a wildfire near Denio, Nevada. Infiltration, water repellency, and erosion were
measured at burned and unburned sites for both sampling times. Immediately after
the fire, peak runoff rates were reached faster at the burned sites than at the
unburned sites. Also, hillslopes within the burned area displayed greater waterrepellent soil conditions than the unburned hillslopes immediately after the fire.
Results also showed that the wildfire had a significant effect on soil erosion
immediately after the fire, but that the difference was not significant one year later.
Pierson et al. (2001) concluded that the effects of wildfire on a watershed can vary
temporally, which is important to take into account when determining the impact of
a fire.
References Cited:
Ice, G.G., Neary, D.G., and Adams, P.W., 2004, Effects of wildfire on soils and
watershed processes: Journal of Forestry, v. 102, p. 16-20.
Moody, J.A., and Martin, D.A., 2001, Post-fire, rainfall intensity – peak discharge
relations for three mountainous watersheds in the western USA: Hydrological
Processes, v. 15, p. 2981-2993.
Pierson, F.B., Robichaud, P.R., and Spaeth, K.E., 2001, Spatial and temporal effects of
wildfire
on the hydrology of a steep rangeland watershed: Hydrological
Processes, v. 15, p. 2905- 2916.
U.S. Geological Survey, 2006, Wildfire Hazards – A National Threat: Fact Sheet 20063015.
An Assessment of the consumptive use of groundwater by phreatophytes in Spring
Valley, Nevada; incorporating a hysteresis effect in the capillary fringe on specific
yield estimates.
Brian M. Bird, Dale A. Devitt, and Amanda Wagner.
School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
In many arid regions throughout the world ground water supply is
exceedingly limited, and demand for water resources are constantly increasing for
agricultural, industrial and residential uses. The consumptive use of groundwater
through evapotranspiration (ET) is an essential variable in the planning of water
supply projects by state or private water purveyors and managers. The Southern
Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) is interested in pumping ground water for Las
Vegas from a network of basins in Northern Nevada and has been conducting an
intensive ET study utilizing data from a series of Eddy Covariance towers installed
in 2004. We propose an improved estimate over the popular (White, 1932) method
that analyzes diurnal trends in well hydrographs to estimate ground water ET (ETg)
by incorporating an adjustment for hysteresis assessed on a soil core extracted from
the capillary fringe of the water table (5.2 m) of a well co-located with an eddy
covariance tower in Spring Valley. Furthermore, estimates of specific yield shown by
(Loheide et al., 2005) will be incorporated to reduce one of the major sources of
uncertainty in the (White, 1932) method for estimating ETg. A comparison of the
new ETg estimate corrected for hysteresis and specifc yield, ET from the eddy
covariance tower and the groundwater consumptive use from native phreatophytic
greasewood using sap flow gages will be made to better estimate baseline ETg
values that could be used by water managers in their groundwater
forecast/management models.
Knut Mehler
Human Impacts on the flow rate and ecology of the Walker River, Nevada
The Walker River, NV originates in California and flows towards northwest
through agricultural areas of the Mason and Smith Valley and enters the Walker
Lake, a desert terminus lake, which completely depends on the stream flow of
the river. Walker River receives its water from the snowmelt of the Sierra Nevada
with a peak flow in June. Most of the water is has been extensively used for
irrigation and agriculture since 1860 (Sharpe, 2009). Hayveart et al. (2008) has
shown that due to excessive diversion the annual flow of the Walker River has
dropped from 11.3 m3/s by the end of the 19th century to almost zero in the
1980s. Over time this has caused significant reduction in flow, and compounded
with increased agricultural runoff, the water has become more concentrated with
nutrients, such as phosphorus, nitrogen and organic carbon.
Moreover, recent studies conducted by Desert Research Institute and University
of Nevada Reno revealed that the Walker Basin ecosystem is sensitive to climate
change and the amount of water from the Walker River required to maintain or
improve the Walker Lake ecosystem depends on the degree of climate change.
Stone et al (2009) used a coupled hydrodynamic and ecological model based on
the Computational Aquatic Ecosystem Dynamics Model (CAEDYM) to simulate
hypothetical streamflow scenarios and to forecast ecological responses in
respect to specific Walker River flow scenarios. The seasonal and spatial
variability of nutrient input depends on the flow of the river (Sharpe et al., 2007)
which in turn is mostly affected by agricultural diversion and the snowmelt in the
mid-to-late spring.
I would like to present the hydrology of the Walker River from the headwater
downstream to the mouth of the Walker Lake, including the annual hydrograph
stream flow at different parts of the river. Furthermore, I am going to show the
problems that Walker River faces nowadays due to human impacts and the
ongoing climate change.
Chris Carrier
September 13, 2010
Geol 712
Dr. Yu
Methods to Measure Evapotranspiration
Evaporation is the transport of water to the atmosphere from water bodies, soil, and other
surfaces, while transpiration is the transport of water from vegetation to the atmosphere.
The combined effects of evaporation and transpiration are typically summed together in a
term known as evapotranspiration (ET). ET plays an important role in the hydrologic
cycle as 2/3 of land surface precipitation is allocated to ET. Another important aspect of
ET involves the transport of energy from the Earth’s surface to the atmosphere. The
transport of vapor and energy to the atmosphere influence atmospheric behavior and
climate. The upward directed energy and mass flux complements the downward directed
precipitation. Measurement of ET has long been a complex problem. While evaporation
from an open body of water can be measured through evaporation, atmometers, and mass
balance of a lake, it is difficult to quantify ET with simple measurements. This is due to
variability of ET from the depth of roots of plant type, soil conditions, and atmospheric
conditions. Although measurement of ET is difficult, several methods aim at quantifying
ET through the energy and mass flux. Indirect measurements of ET can be achieved
through a soil water balance and energy balance. Water balance involves measurement of
inflows and outflows of moisture in the soil. Energy balance involves the measurement of
net radiation, sensible heat, and heat flux. Other indirect measures using eddy covariance
and the Bowen ratio to measure temperature and water vapor. The only direct
measurement of ET can be performed through weighing lysimeters. Potential
evapotranspiration (PET) describes the amount of water that could be evaporated with an
ample water supply. For applications that require a known ET rate such as agriculture,
systems of crop coefficients have been developed to give an empirically based ET
relative to a known PET rate. A new innovation in ET measurement is the use of remote
sensing, which produces ET as a residual of energy balance at the Earth’s surface.
System Dynamic and Geographical Information System: Fresh idea
for model of Water Resources Systems
Behrooz Pakzadeh
Abstract: A fresh idea called spatial system dynamic (SSD) or multi agent system is
demonstrated to simulate feedback based dynamic procedure in time and space.
Geographic information system for managing spatial data (GIS) and general dynamic
simulation system for evolving unit models (Stella). The spatial system dynamic
might be applied to simulate a kind of physical and natural processes where the
main issue is space-time interaction. To completely study the dynamic interaction
between river flow and surface water and precisely model these complex water
resources systems, a framework present to develop conceptually different models.
In order to apply this new approach we can have many examples like flood
management, surface water simulation and ground water simulation. This article
will be modified by adding an example about flood management in the Red River
basin in Manitoba, Canada.
Key words: spatial data, Geographic information system, Stella, water resources
management, flood control, modeling.
Peng Jiang
Summary:
The Colorado River is one of the most important river systems in the United States. It
flows through arid regions in the southwest and is the sole source of water for extensive
agriculture, urban population centers, and diverse ecosystems (Nash and Gleick, 1991).
Different hydrological models were applied in the previous studies to simulate the
hydrologic processes under different climate scenarios in the Colorado River Basin
(CRB). They succeed in gaining the feedback of streamflow from the changes of
temperature and precipitation, however, few of them tried to explain hydrologic impacts
of climate change from spatial and temporal distribution of different hydrologic factors
(water-table depths, vadose-zone soil moisture et al.). Problems such as magnitude,
changes in flood and drought frequency and intensity due to climate change remain
unclear. This study is an effort on this topic by applying an integrate hydrological model
system (HMS) which is designed for interactive climate-hydrologic simulations is applied
in CRB. First, 62 years (1948-2009) of surface flux data from NCEP/NCAR (National
Center for Atmospheric Research/National Center for Environmental Prediction)
Reanalysis including temperature and precipitation rate will be used to run the HMS. The
HMS will be calibrated against the observation data during this period. Then 90 years of
Bias Corrected and Downscaled WCRP(World Climate Research Program) CMIP3
(Phase 3 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project) Climate Projections will be
temporally downscaled. Using this downscaled data as input, the HMS is expected to
give a detailed information of how spatial and temporal distribution of each hydrologic
factor are impacted by climate change.
The first student presentation: talk about the different hydrological models used to
study the hydrological impacts of climate change in CRB and introduce HMS and its
capability.
The second student presentation: explain how to use HMS to simulate and predict
hydrologic processes under different climate and land use scenarios. Discuss on the
simulated results.
Nick Wahnefried
Geol 712
Abstract:
Infiltration is the process by which water enters the soil. It is often measured
by subtracting the runoff from the amount of rainfall. Dynamic models of
infiltration are far more difficult. The equations for evapotranspiration and for
infiltration are often empirical in origin and based off aggregate results. With
infiltration each individual raindrop carries an amount of energy that displaces and
compacts soil. The compacting of soil in turn decreased future infiltration. This
leads to an iterative model based on raindrop energy, soil type, and raindrop
dispersal. This micro-scale interaction should be better understood and then
aggregated to a broader theoretical equation that complements empirical results.
I plan to illustrate these relationships by describing an individual raindrop
and the forces on the soil as well as the effect of soil hit by one drop on future
impacting drops.