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At least 271 records · Page 15Linked to original sources
USGS1985

Evaluating the hydraulic effects of changes in aquifer elevation using curvilinear coordinates

The groundwater flow equation is written in curvilinear coordinates whose coordinate surfaces coincide with the top and bottom surfaces of folded layers of aquifers. The coordinates are general enough for these surfaces to coincide for almost all groundwater systems. The terms of the finite-difference approximation for the flow equation can be separated into two groups. One group corresponds to a similar system of horizontal aquifers and the other group corresponds to the folding. The latter group is zero if the vertical gradients of hydraulic head and hydraulic conductivity are zero. Furthermore, it is noted that vertical gradients in head must be modelled for the effects of folding to result. When these vertical gradients and dips are not too large, the effects of folding can be calculated using a perturbation method wherein the flow in folded aquifers is considered to be a perturbation of the flow in similar horizontal aquifers. With the method presented, three-dimensional finite-difference models can be modified to simulate folded aquifer systems. Perturbation solutions are obtained for a class of folded three-aquifer systems. For these systems, with vertical head gradients as great as 0.23, with aquifer hydraulic conductivities differing by two orders of magnitude, and with dips as great as 30??, only small hydraulic changes due to folding were simulated.

Journal of Hydrology↗
USGS1985

Experimental studies in natural groundwater-recharge dynamics: The analysis of observed recharge events

The amounts and time distribution of groundwater recharge from precipitation over an approximately 19-month period were investigated at two instrumented sites in south-central Kansas. Precipitation and evapotranspiration sequences, soil-moisture profiles and storage changes, water fluxes in the unsaturated zone and hydraulic gradients in the saturated zone at various depths, soil temperatures, water-table hydrographs, and water-level changes in nearby wells clearly depict the recharge process. Antecedent moisture conditions and the thickness and nature of the unsaturated zone were found to be the major factors affecting recharge. Although the two instrumented sites are located in sand-dune environments in areas characterized by shallow water table and subhumid continental climate, a significant difference was observed in the estimated effective recharge. The estimates ranged from less than 2.5 to approximately 154 mm at the two sites from February to June 1983. The main reasons for this large difference in recharge estimates were the greater thickness of the unsaturated zone and the lower moisture content in that zone resulting from lower precipitation and higher potential evapotranspiration for one of the sites. Effective recharge took place only during late winter and spring. No summer or fall recharge was observed at either site during the observation period of this study.

Kansas↗
USGS1985

Quantitative analysis of saltwater-freshwater relationships in groundwater systems-A historical perspective

Although much progress has been made toward the mathematical description of saltwater-freshwater relationships in groundwater systems since the late 19th century, the advective and dispersive mechanisms involved are still incompletely understood. This article documents the major historical advances in this subject and summarizes the major direction of current studies. From the time of Badon Ghyben and Herzberg, it has been recognized that density is important in mathematically describing saltwater-freshwater systems. Other mechanisms, such as hydrodynamic dispersion, were identified later and are still not fully understood. Quantitative analysis of a saltwater-freshwater system attempts to mathematically describe the physical system and the important mechanisms using reasonable simplifications and assumptions. This paper, in developing the history of quantitative analysis discusses many of these simplifications and assumptions and their effect on describing and understanding the phenomenon.

Journal of Hydrology↗
USGS1985

Hydraulic gradient control for groundwater contaminant removal

The Rocky Mountain Arsenal near Denver, Colorado, U.S.A., is used as a realistic setting for a hypothetical test of a procedure that plans the hydraulic stabilization and removal of a groundwater contaminant plume. A two-stage planning procedure successfully selects the best wells and their optimal pumping/recharge schedules to contain the plume while a well or system of wells within the plume removes the contaminated water. In stage I, a combined groundwater flow and solute transport model is used to simulate contaminant removal under an assumed velocity field. The result is the approximated plume boundary location as a function of time. In stage II, a linear program, which includes a groundwater flow model as part of the set of constraints, determines the optimal well selection and their optimal pumping/recharge schedules by minimizing total pumping and recharge. The simulation—management model eliminates wells far from the plume perimeter and activates wells near the perimeter as the plume decreases in size. This successfully stablizes the hydraulic gradient during aquifer cleanup.

Colorado↗
USGS1985

Salt-water-freshwater transient upconing - An implicit boundary-element solution

The boundary-element method is used to solve the set of partial differential equations describing the flow of salt water and fresh water separated by a sharp interface in the vertical plane. In order to improve the accuracy and stability of the numerical solution, a new implicit scheme was developed for calculating the motion of the interface. The performance of this scheme was tested by means of numerical simulation. The numerical results are compared to experimental results for a salt-water upconing under a drain problem.

Journal of Hydrology↗
USGS1986

A comparison of the coupled fresh water-salt water flow and the Ghyben-Herzberg sharp interface approaches to modeling of transient behavior in coastal aquifer systems

A quasi-three dimensional finite difference model which simulates coupled, fresh water and salt water flow, separated by a sharp interface, is used to investigate the effects of storage characteristics, transmissivity, boundary conditions and anisotropy on the transient responses of such flow systems. The magnitude and duration of the departure of aquifer response from the behavior predicted using the Ghyben-Herzberg, one-fluid approach is a function of the ease with which flow can be induced in the salt water region. In many common hydrogeologic settings short-term fresh water head responses, and transitional responses between short-term and long-term, can only be realistically reproduced by including the effects of salt water flow on the dynamics of coastal flow systems. The coupled fresh water-salt water flow modeling approach is able to reproduce the observed annual fresh water head response of the Waialae aquifer of southeastern Oahu, Hawaii.

Hawaii↗
USGS1986

A boundary element-Random walk model of mass transport in groundwater

A boundary element solution to the convective mass transport in groundwater is presented. This solution produces a continuous velocity field and reduces the amount of data preparation time and bookkeeping. By combining this solution and the random walk procedure, a convective-dispersive mass transport model is obtained. This model may be easily used to simulate groundwater contamination problems. The accuracy of the boundary element model has been verified by reproducing the analytical solution to a two-dimensional convective mass transport problem. The method was also used to simulate a convective-dispersive problem.

Journal of Hydrology↗
USGS1986

Groundwater flow into Lake Michigan from Wisconsin

Detailed hydrogeological study has been done at six sites along the Lake Michigan shoreline in Wisconsin. At each site a flux of groundwater to the lake has been calculated for both natural conditions and the existing conditions created by pumping. The values from each site have then been extrapolated to the entire portion of the total shoreline having similar hydrogeology in order to calculate a total flow of groundwater to the lake. Sensitivity analysis with a digital model was used to define limits on the similarity of hydrogeologic conditions. The net flow calculated is 580–880 m 3 day −1 km −1 of shoreline, which falls within the previously published range of 110–8200 m 3 day −1 km −1 . Human activity may have reduced the natural flow as much as 15%. The estimated natural flow is between 7 and 11% of the surface water contribution to the lake from the study area.

Wisconsin↗
USGS1986

Effect of ground-water recharge on configuration of the water table beneath sand dunes and on seepage in lakes in the sandhills of Nebraska, U.S.A.

Analysis of water-level fluctuations in about 30 observation wells and 5 lakes in the Crescent Lake National Wildlife Refuge in the sandhills of Nebraska indicates water-table configuration beneath sand dunes in this area varies considerably, depending on the configuration of the topography of the dunes. If the topography of an interlake dunal area is hummocky, ground-water recharge is focused at topographic lows causing formation of water-table mounds. These mounds prevent ground-water movement from topographically high lakes to adjacent lower lakes. If a dune ridge is sharp, the opportunity for focused recharge does not exist, resulting in water-table troughs between lakes. Lakes aligned in descending altitudes, parallel to the principal direction of regional ground-water movement, generally have seepage from higher lakes toward lower lakes.

Nebraska↗
USGS1986

River meanders and channel size

This study uses an enlarged data set to (1) compare measured meander geometry to that predicted by the Langbein and Leopold (1966) theory, (2) examine the frequency distribution of the ratio radius of curvature/channel width, and (3) derive 40 empirical equations (31 of which are original) involving meander and channel size features. The data set, part of which comes from publications by other authors, consists of 194 sites from a large variety of physiographic environments in various countries. The Langbein-Leopold sine-generated-curve theory for predicting radius of curvature agrees very well with the field data (78 sites). The ratio radius of curvature/channel width has a modal value in the range of 2 to 3, in accordance with earlier work; about one third of the 79 values is less than 2.0. The 40 empirical relations, most of which include only two variables, involve channel cross-section dimensions (bankfull area, width, and mean depth) and meander features (wavelength, bend length, radius of curvature, and belt width). These relations have very high correlation coefficients, most being in the range of 0.95-0.99. Although channel width traditionally has served as a scale indicator, bankfull cross-sectional area and mean depth also can be used for this purpose.

Journal of Hydrology↗
USGS1987

Origins of seawater intrusion in a coastal aquifer - A case study of the Pajaro Valley, California

Seawater may enter and contaminate stratified coastal aquifers through a number of different pathways. These pathways and their relative contribution are examined in the Pajaro Valley, California, a coastal area with extensive groundwater development. This study considers three pathways of possible intrusion of the primary confined aquifer: (1) onshore leakage from brackish sources, the estuary and sloughs, through the confining layer; (2) near-shore leakage from the ocean through the confining layer; and (3) offshore flow from the ocean through the submarine canyon outcrop of the aquifer. Groundwater flow and seawater intrusion are simulated using an areal, two-dimensional solute-transport computer model. This analysis indicates that leakage through confining layers is the principal mechanism of recharge to the aquifer. Although lateral flow through the offshore outcrop contaminates the aquifer, as a whole, at a higher rate, vertical leakage through the sea floor initially is the main pathway of seawater intrusion to the onshore portion of the aquifer. It is likely that leakage generally is the dominant mechanism of recharge and initial cause of seawater intrusion for poorly-confined, stratified coastal aquifers. This analysis suggests that a significant time interval follows the initial observation of seawater intrusion, during which remedial action can be taken to control lateral flow through the offshore outcrop, which ultimately will be the largest component of future intrusion in these aquifers.

California↗
USGS1987

Analysis of an anisotropic coastal aquifer system using variable-density flow and solute transport simulation

The groundwater system in southern Oahu, Hawaii consists of a thick, areally extensive freshwater lens overlying a zone of transition to a thick saltwater body. This system is analyzed in cross section with a variable-density groundwater flow and solute transport model on a regional scale. The simulation is difficult, because the coastal aquifer system has a saltwater transition zone that is broadly dispersed near the discharge area, but is very sharply defined inland. Steady-state simulation analysis of the transition zone in the layered basalt aquifer of southern Oahu indicates that a small transverse dispersivity is characteristic of horizontal regional flow. Further, in this system flow is generally parallel to isochlors and steady-state behavior is insensitive to the longitudinal dispersivity. Parameter analysis identifies that only six parameters control the complex hydraulics of the system: horizontal and vertical hydraulic conductivity of the basalt aquifer; hydraulic conductivity of the confining "caprock" layer; leakance below the caprock; specific yield; and aquifer matrix compressibility. The best-fitting models indicate the horizontal hydraulic conductivity is significantly greater than the vertical hydraulic conductivity. These models give values for specific yield and aquifer compressibility which imply a considerable degree of compressive storage in the water table aquifer.

Hawaii↗
USGS1987

Microclimate and actual evapotranspiration in a humid coastal-plain environment

Continuous hourly measurements of twelve meteorologic variables recorded during 1983 and 1984 were used to examine the microclimate and actual evapotranspiration at a low-level radioactive-waste burial site near Barnwell, South Carolina. The study area is in the Atlantic Coastal Plain of southwestern South Carolina. Monthly, daily, and hourly trends in net radiation, incoming and reflected short-wave radiation, incoming and emitted long-wave radiation, soil-heat flux, dry- and wet-bulb temperatures, soil temperatures, wind direction and speed, and precipitation were used to characterize the microclimate. Average daily air temperatures ranged from −9 to 32° Celsius during the period of study. Net radiation varied from about −27 to 251 watts m −2 and was dominated by incoming short-wave radiation throughout the year. The peak net radiation during a summer day generally occurred 2–3h before the peak vapor pressure deficit. In the winter, these peaks occurred at about the same time of day. Monthly precipitation varied from 15 to 241 mm. The Bowen ratio method was used to estimate hourly evapotranspiration, which was summed to also give daily and monthly evapotranspiration. Actual evapotranspiration varied from 0.0 to 0.7 mm h −1 , 0.8−5 mm d −1 , and 20–140 mm month −1 during 1983 and 1984. The maximum rate of evapotranspiration generally occurred at the same time of day as maximum net radiation, suggesting net radiation was the main driving force for evapotranspiration. Precipitation exceeded evapotranspiration during 14 months of the 2yr study period. Late fall, winter, and early spring contained the majority of these months. The maximum excess precipitation was 115 mm in February 1983.

South Carolina↗
USGS1987

Hydraulics and basin morphometry of the largest flash floods in the conterminous United States

The maximum rainfall-runoff floods measured by indirect methods in small basins (0.39-370 km 2 ) in the conterminous United States are examined. This analysis identified twelve floods that were the largest ever measured. These floods all occurred in semiarid to arid areas. For eleven of the twelve largest rainfall-runoff floods measured in small basins by the slope-area method, values of hydraulic depth; hydraulic radius; width-depth ratio; n value; mean velocity; velocity-head coefficient; Froude number; water-surface, energy, and channel slopes; shear stress; and unit stream power are tabulated. Estimated composite n values weighted by subsection conveyance range from 0.028 to 0.048 with a mean of 0.038. Mean velocities ranged from 3.47 to 9.97 m s −1 . Froude numbers ranged from 0.81 to 2.49, with 9 of 12 floods having values greater than 1.00. Water-surface, energy, and channel slopes vary considerably for each flood. Energy slope always was less than water-surface slope by values of 1–104%. Channel slope was greater than energy slope in eight floods. Shear stresses ranged between 61 and 855 N m −2 , and unit stream power from 212 to 8131 w m −1 . Floods in these small basins produced shear stresses and unit stream powers several hundred times greater than floods in large rivers. Floods on other small streams, with smaller unit discharges, produced greater shear stresses and stream powers. This indicates that the force of a flood is controlled by the depth-slope product, not absolute discharge. In the twelve watersheds studied, basin relief ranged from 165 to 1280 m, elongation ratios ranged from 0.55 to 0.80, the number of first-order streams (basin magnitude) ranged from 10 to 4297, drainage density ranged from 4.1 to 10.9 km km −2 , basin slope ranged from 0.0043 to 0.2486, relief ratio ranged from 0.0097 to 0.34, ruggedness number ranged from 0.69 to 7.17, and first-order channel frequency ranged from 5.1 to 38.6 km −2 . Elongation ratios were larger, and drainage density and first-order channel frequency lower, than other small flash-flood prone basins in the United States. These twelve basins have neither the most favorable morphometric characteristics which contribute to flash-flood peaks, nor did the storms causing these flash floods have the greatest short-duration intensities. Maximum flood peaks originate from an optimal combination of basin morphology and physiography, and storm intensity.

conterminous United States↗
USGS1987

Quantifying peak discharges for historical floods

It is usually advantageous to use information regarding historical floods, if available, to define the flood-frequency relation for a stream. Peak stages can sometimes be determined for outstanding floods that occurred many years ago before systematic gaging of streams began. In the United States, this information is usually not available for more than 100-200 years, but in countries with long cultural histories, such as China, historical flood data are available at some sites as far back as 2,000 years or more. It is important in flood studies to be able to assign a maximum discharge rate and an associated error range to the historical flood. This paper describes the significant characteristics and uncertainties of four commonly used methods for estimating the peak discharge of a flood. These methods are: (1) rating curve (stage-discharge relation) extension; (2) slope conveyance; (3) slope area; and (4) step backwater. Logarithmic extensions of rating curves are based on theoretical plotting techniques that results in straight line extensions provided that channel shape and roughness do not change significantly. The slope-conveyance and slope-area methods are based on the Manning equation, which requires specific data on channel size, shape and roughness, as well as the water-surface slope for one or more cross-sections in a relatively straight reach of channel. The slope-conveyance method is used primarily for shaping and extending rating curves, whereas the slope-area method is used for specific floods. The step-backwater method, also based on the Manning equation, requires more cross-section data than the slope-area ethod, but has a water-surface profile convergence characteristic that negates the need for known or estimated water-surface slope. Uncertainties in calculating peak discharge for historical floods may be quite large. Various investigations have shown that errors in calculating peak discharges by the slope-area method under ideal conditions for recent floods (i.e., when flood elevations, slope and channel characteristics are reasonably certain), may be on the order of 10-25%. Under less than ideal conditions, where streams are hydraulically steep and rough, errors may be much larger. The additional uncertainties for historical floods created by the passage of time may result in even larger errors of peak discharge.

Journal of Hydrology↗
USGS1987

Errors in slope-area computations of peak discharges in mountain streams

During an evaluation of 70 slope-area measurements on higher-gradient streams (stream slopes greater than 0.002) throughout the United States, peak discharge measurements were found to be affected by n values, scour, expansion and contraction losses, viscosity, unsteady flow, number of cross sections, state of flow and stream slope. Problems due to measurement error can often be as great as or greater than 100% and leads to overestimation of the actual peak discharge. This can result in misleading maximum flood values, erroneous flood-frequency analyses and overdesign of flood-plain structures. A brief discussion of these problems, tentative solutions and research needs is presented. The critical-depth method of computing peak discharge provides the most reasonable results in higher-gradient streams.

Colorado↗
USGS1987

A comparison of the largest rainfall-runoff floods in the United States with those of the People's Republic of China and the world

The maximum historic rainfall-runoff floods measured in the United States, the People's Republic of China and the world all plot close to a smooth curve of drainage area versus discharge. In the United States, the possibility that flood peaks were overestimated and the closeness of these peaks to the probable maximum floods suggest that this limiting curve of maximum floods will not significantly change position with more data. Data for future floods that plot above this curve need to be examined carefully. The most likely interpretations for new data points above the curve would be the confusion of a mud or debris flow with a water-dominated flood, or the damming of channels by debris or a landslide and subsequent bursting. In the United States, excluding Hawaii, the largest measured historic floods in basins less than about 1000 km 2 , all occurred in arid and semi-arid areas. In China, the majority of the largest measured historic floods occurred in the east and southeast in basins on the windward side of mountainous areas, and in locations affected by typhoons. One extraordinary flood that exceeds any other recorded flood in the world for the size of the drainage basin in which it occurred is the New Caledonia flood of December 24, 1981 on the Ouaieme River. Worldwide, the largest measured historic floods occurred primarily between 40°N and 40°S latitude on streams and rivers near coastal areas.

Journal of Hydrology↗