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Watershed-scale response of groundwater recharge to inter-annual and inter-decadal variability in precipitation (Alberta, Canada)

Réponse de la recharge souterraine à la variabilité des précipitations interannuelles et inter-décadaires à l’échelle d’un bassin versant (Alberta, Canada)

Respuesta de la recarga de agua subterránea a escala de cuenca a variabilidad interdecádica e interanual en las precipitaciones (Alberta, Canadá)

加拿大亚伯达省)一年间及十年间的降水变化导致的地下水补给流域尺度响应

Resposta da recarga de aquíferos à variabilidade interanual e inter-década da precipitação, à escala da bacia hidrográfica (Alberta, Canada)

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Abstract

Groundwater recharge sets a constraint on aquifer water balance in the context of water management. Historical data on groundwater and other relevant hydrological processes can be used to understand the effects of climatic variability on recharge, but such data sets are rare. The climate of the Canadian prairies is characterized by large inter-annual and inter-decadal variability in precipitation, which provides opportunities to examine the response of groundwater recharge to changes in meteorological conditions. A decadal study was conducted in a small (250 km2) prairie watershed in Alberta, Canada. Relative magnitude of annual recharge, indicated by water-level rise, was significantly correlated with a combination of growing-season precipitation and snowmelt runoff, which drives depression-focussed infiltration of meltwater. Annual precipitation was greater than vapour flux at an experimental site in some years and smaller in other years. On average precipitation minus vapour flux was 10 mm y−1, which was comparable to the magnitude of watershed-scale groundwater recharge estimated from creek baseflow. Average baseflow showed a distinct shift from a low value (4 mm y−1) in 1982–1995 to a high value (15 mm y−1) in 2003–2013, indicating the sensitivity of groundwater recharge to a decadal-scale variability of meteorological conditions.

Résumé

La recharge de l’aquifère exerce une contrainte sur le bilan de nappe dans le contexte de la gestion de l’eau. Les données historiques sur l’aquifère et sur les autres processus hydrologiques associés peuvent être utilisées pour comprendre les effets de la variabilité climatique sur la recharge, mais de tels ensembles de données sont rares. Le climat des prairies canadiennes est caractérisé par une grande variabilité des précipitations interannuelles et inter-décadaires, ce qui fournit des opportunités pour examiner la réponse de la recharge des eaux souterraines aux modifications des conditions météorologiques. Une étude décadaire a été menée sur un petit bassin versant prairial (250 km2) en Alberta (Canada). L’importance relative de la recharge annuelle, indiquée par l’élévation du niveau de l’eau, a été corrélée de façon significative avec une combinaison des précipitations de début de saison et l’écoulement dû à la fonte des neiges, qui entraîne une infiltration d’eau de fonte dans les dépressions. Sur un site expérimental, le volume annuel de précipitation a été supérieur au volume d’évaporation durant quelques années et inférieur durant quelques autres. En moyenne, le volume de précipitation diminué du volume d’évaporation a été de 10 mm a−1, valeur comparable à la hauteur de recharge des eaux souterraines à l’échelle du bassin versant estimée à partir du débit de base d’un ruisseau. Le débit de base moyen a nettement varié depuis une valeur basse (4 mm a−1) en 1982–1995 jusqu’à une valeur élevée (15 mm a−1) en 2003–2013, indiquant la sensibilité de la recharge des eaux souterraines à la variabilité des conditions météorologiques à l’échelle décadaire.

Resumen

La recarga de agua subterránea determina una limitante para el balance de agua de un acuífero en el contexto del manejo del agua. Se pueden usar datos históricos sobre agua subterránea y otros procesos hidrológicos relevantes para entender los efectos de la variabilidad climática sobre la recarga, pero tales conjuntos de datos son poco común. El clima de las llanura en Canadá se caracteriza por un gran variabilidad interdecádica y anual en las precipitaciones, lo cual proporciona oportunidades para analizar la respuesta de la recarga de agua subterránea a cambios en las condiciones meteorológicas. Se realizó un estudio decádico en una pequeña cuenca de llanura en Alberta, Canadá. La magnitud relativa de la recarga anual, indicada por la elevación de los niveles de agua, fue correlacionada significativamente con la combinación del crecimiento estacional de la precipitación y el escurrimiento por derretimiento de nieve, lo cual lleva a una infiltración focalizada de agua de derretimiento en las depresiones. La precipitación anual fue mayor que el flujo de vapor en un sitio experimental en algunos años y menor en otros. El promedio de la precipitación menos el flujo de vapor fue 10 mm y−1, lo cual era comparable a escala de cuenca con la magnitud de la recarga de agua subterránea estimada a partir de flujo base del arroyo. El flujo de base mostró un cambio marcado desde valores bajos (4 mm y−1) en 1982–1995 a valores altos (15 mm y−1) en 2003–2013, lo cual indica la sensibilidad de la recarga de agua subterránea a una variabilidad de las condiciones meteorológicas a escala decádica.

摘要

在水管理中,地下水补给为含水层水平衡设置了约束条件。地下水和其它相关水文过程的历史资料可用于了解气候变化对补给的影响,然而,这样的资料非常匮乏。加拿大大草原的气候特征是一年间及十年间的降水变化非常大,这为查验地下水补给对气象条件变化的响应提供了机会。在加拿大亚伯达省一个小的牧场(250 km2)进行了为期10年的研究。地下水位的上升能够表明显示出每年相对补给量,每年的相对补给量与生长季节的降水和融雪水径流对应良好,融雪水径流可促使融水在低洼地带集中入渗。试验场年降水量有些年份大于蒸气通量,有些年份少于蒸气通量。通常降水量减去蒸气通量为10 mm y−1,这个量与根据小溪基流量估算得出的流域尺度的地下水补给量旗鼓相当。1982年至1995年平均基流量很低((4 mm y−1),然而,2003年至2013年平均基流量却很高,表明地下水补给对十年尺度的气象条件变化非常敏感。

Resumo

No contexto da gestão dos recursos hídricos, a recarga de águas subterrâneas tem implicações importantes para o balanço hídrico nos aquíferos. Para se perceber o efeito da variabilidade climática na recarga, podem ser usados dados históricos sobre águas subterrâneas e sobre outros processos hidrológicos relevantes, mas estes dados são ainda raros. O clima das pradarias canadianas é caraterizado por uma grande variabilidade interanual e inter-década da precipitação, o que proporciona oportunidades excelentes para se examinar a resposta da recarga de aquíferos à mudança das condições meteorológicas. Foi desenvolvido um estudo à escala da década para uma pequena bacia hidrográfica (250 km2) na pradaria de Alberta, Canadá. O valor da recarga anual, indicado pela subida do nível freático, foi correlacionado com a combinação da precipitação (na estação das culturas) e com o degelo, que implica infiltração da água do degelo nas zonas baixas. A precipitação anual foi superior ao fluxo de vapor (evapotranspiração) em alguns anos, sendo menor noutros. Para precipitações médias, a diferença para o fluxo de vapor foi de 10 mm a−1, o que foi considerado comparável ao escoamento de base nos ribeiros, proveniente da recarga à escala da bacia. O escoamento de base mostrou uma mudança a partir de valores baixos (4 mm a−1) de 1982 a 1995 até um valor mais elevado (15 mm a−1) de 2003 a 2013, indicando a suscetibilidade da recarga dos aquíferos à variabilidade das condições climáticas à escala das décadas.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the well owners for providing access to their wells and Rocky View County for assisting with the community-based monitoring program. We also thank numerous students and field technicians who participated in this project, in particular Lisa Grieef, Tim van Dijk, John Jackson, Jaclyn Schmidt, Nathan Green, Kate Forbes, Krystal Chin, Shelby Snow, Getachew Mohammed, and Kathleen Little. Funding for this project was provided by Alberta Environment, Alberta Ingenuity Centre for Water Research, Canada-Alberta Water Supply Expansion Program, Canada Foundation for Innovation, Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences (DRI Network), Royal Bank of Canada, Alberta Innovates - Energy and Environment Solutions, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (CCRN Network), and Environment Canada Science Horizons Program. Constructive comments by two anonymous reviewers improved the quality of the paper.

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  1. Christopher R. Farrow

    Present address: Waterline Resources Inc., 6415 10 St. SE, Calgary, Alberta, T2H 2Z9, Canada

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  1. Department of Geoscience, University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr. NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada

    Masaki Hayashi & Christopher R. Farrow

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Correspondence to Masaki Hayashi.

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Hayashi, M., Farrow, C.R. Watershed-scale response of groundwater recharge to inter-annual and inter-decadal variability in precipitation (Alberta, Canada). Hydrogeol J 22, 1825–1839 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-014-1176-3

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