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Metodos para Estimar La Recarga de Acuíferos
Metodos para Estimar La Recarga de Acuíferos
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Abstract— Estimates of groundwater recharge constitute Geological Survey (USGS) Ground-Water Resources Program
fundamental input for most approaches used to evaluate and (Grannemann, 2001). It was one of several studies designed to
manage groundwater resources. Most approaches for provide an improved understanding of methods for estimating
quantifying groundwater recharge measure recharge directly or recharge in the humid, eastern United States
indirectly over a limited area (point or small-basin scale) and for
short periods of time. Estimation of recharge, by any method is II. METHODS
normally subject to large uncertainties and errors. In this paper,
various methods of estimating ground water recharge are Number of methods are available in the literature for the
outlined and critically reviewed with regard to their limitations. estimation of natural and artificial recharge to the aquifer,
selection of which depends on available data, local geographic
Keywords— Water balance,water table, hydrological cycle,Water and topographic conditions, spatial and temporal scale
budget method. required and reliability of results obtained by different
methods. According to Scanlon et al. (2002) techniques based
I. INTRODUCTION on the surface water and unsaturated-zone data provide
Ground-water recharge is a fundamental component in the estimates of potential recharge, whereas that base on
water balance of any watershed. However, because it is nearly groundwater data provides estimate of actual recharge.
impossible to measure directly, numerous methods, ranging Owing to uncertainties involved in each approach, he
widely in complexity and cost, have been used to estimate suggested to use multiple techniques to increase the reliability
recharge (Lerner and others, 1990; Scanlon and others, 2002). of the results
Practicing hydrologists typically make the best estimates of
recharge possible by the use of methods that are relatively A. Water table fluctuation (WTF) method
straightforward in their application and require only In the application of WTF method the basic assumption is that,
commonly available hydrologic data. In the humid, eastern the rise in the groundwater level in unconfined aquifer is only
United States, where most streams are gaining and the water due to recharge water arriving at the water table. Recharge is
table is relatively shallow, recharge typically is estimated by calculated as
an analysis of stream flow records, ground-water levels, or the R = Sy dh/dt = Sy ∆h/∆t
water balance for a watershed. In some cases, base flow has Where,
been used as an approximation of recharge, with the
acknowledgement that it is probably less than the amount R = rate of recharge (LT-1)
recharging the ground-water system (Daniel, 1996; Holtschlag, Sy = specific yield, (M0L0T0)
1997; Szilagyi and others, 2003). A common recommendation Dh = ∆h = water table rise, (L)
is that recharge should be estimated by the use of multiple Dt = ∆t = time within which rise dh takes place,
methods and the results compared (Nimmo and others, 2003; (T)
Healy and Cooke, 2002). This is a prudent approach, though
good-quality data usually are not available to make estimates The value of R obtained above can be multiplied by areal
from multiple methods. In east-central Pennsylvania, however, extent of aquifer to get recharge in terms of volume per unit
there are two hydrologic research sites where long-term time.
monitoring of climate, ground water, surface water, and the
unsaturated zone allows comparison of multiple methods for A time lag occurs between the arrival of water and its
estimating ground-water recharge with avail- able data. The redistribution to the other components like base flow,
sites are operated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, groundwater evaporation and net sub-surface flow from an
Agricultural Research Service (ARS), as part of their Pasture area. WTF method can be applied over longer time intervals
Systems and Watershed Management Research Unit Research (seasonal or annual) to estimate the change in subsurface
Watershed. Not only do these ARS sites afford long-term, storage. Healy et al., (2002) reported that the WTF method
continuous hydrologic records representative of the humid- for estimation of groundwater recharge was applied as early as
continental climate of the northeastern United States, they the 1920s and since then has been used in numerous studies.
include measurements of unsaturated-zone drainage from
gravity-drainage lysimeters (a dataset rarely available) and The method is quite simple as no assumptions are made on the
streamflow data from gages in nested watersheds. This study mechanism by which water reaches to groundwater. The
was conducted in cooperation with the ARS as part of the U.S. method has some disadvantages also. Water table fluctuation
recharge in temporal and spatial scales based on the geologic Channel Island of Jersey. These are (a) chloride balance, (b)
properties and rate of recharge. stream base flow analysis, and (c) rainfall-recharge-runoff
simulation. All three methods produced reasonably consistent
Groundwater flow and contaminant transport models are results, indicating that long-term recharge is 16-19% of
being extensively used in the studies related to groundwater average annual rainfall, and results of modeling indicate that
systems. Groundwater flow models are used to calculate the groundwater abstraction may have exceeded recharge in 5 out
rate and direction of movement of groundwater through of 28 years
aquifers and confining units in the subsurface. These
calculations are referred to as simulations. The simulation of III. CONCLUSION
groundwater flow requires a thorough understanding of the Ground-water recharge is a fundamental component in the
hydro-geologic characteristics of the site. water balance of any watershed. However, because it is nearly
impossible to measure directly, numerous methods have been
The accuracy of model predictions depends upon successful used to estimate recharge, and in some cases, base flow has
calibration and verification of the model in determining been used as an approximation of recharge. A common
groundwater flow directions, and transport of contaminants. In recommendation in the literature is that recharge should be
relation with groundwater models, Sanford (2002) has estimated from multiple methods and the results compared,
highlighted two important issues. As groundwater recharge is but in reality, comparing the results may be difficult because
a fundamental component of a most groundwater models, of differences inherent in the methods. While estimating
while reviewing one must assess how recharge is represented natural ground water recharge, it is essential to have a good
in the groundwater models and how recharge is estimated idea of the different recharge mechanisms and their
using groundwater models. Use of groundwater models is importance in the study area. Choice of methods should also
very fruitful. The analysis proposed by artificial recharge be guided by the objectives of the study, available data and the
scheme has been improved by groundwater modeling possibilities to get supplementary data. Economy, too is an
exercises. important factor. However, estimates are normally subject to
large errors. No single comprehensive estimation technique
F. Tracer techniques can yet be identified from the spectrum of those available,
Recently, the techniques bsed on the heat or chemical isotopic which give reliable results. Hence, it is desirable to apply
tracers are gaining much importance in the estimation of more than one method based on independent input data.
groundwater recharge. Measuring the concentration of the
environment tracers that indicate groundwater age has been References
increasingly popular approach in this field. Number of 1- Nimmo, J.R., Stonestrom, David, and Healy, R.W., 2003,
articles and research papers about application and theories of Aquifer recharge, in Stewart, B.A., and Howell, T.A., eds.,
isotopic methods for characterizing groundwater and recharge Encyclopedia of Water Science: New York, Marcel Dekker,
are available. In the field of groundwater, isotopic tracers Inc., p. 1-4
2- Szilagyi, Jozef, Harvey, F.E., and Ayers, J.F., 2003, Regional
provide a powerful investigative tool. Coplen (993) reported
estimation of base recharge to ground water using water balance
that another major technological growth area has been in the and a base-flow index: Ground Water, v. 41, no. 4, p. 504-513
application of isotopic analyses to groundwater hydrology, 3- Grannemann, N.G., 2001, U.S. Geological Survey groundwater
wherein isotopic measurements are being used to help resources program, 2001: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet
interpret and define groundwater flow paths, ages, recharge 056-01, 2 p
areas, leakage, and interactions with surface water. 4- Healy, R.W., and Cooke, P.G., 2002, Using groundwater levels
to estimate recharge: Hydrogeology Journal, v. 10, p. 91- 109
Datta (1999) used the signatures of 18O isotopes to investigate 5- Scanlon, B.R., Healy, R.W. and Cook, P.G. (2002). Choosing
groundwater occurrence and recharge in the National Capital appropriate techniques for quantifying groundwater recharge.
Hydrology Journal, 10: 18-39.
Territory (NCT) of Delhi. These signatures revealed that
6- Sanford, W. (2002). Recharge and groundwater models: an
groundwater in well of Delhi area are a mixture of varying overview. Hydrology Journal 10: 110-120 pp.
proportions of different water sources and the aquifer in the 7- Kumar, C.P. and Seethapathi, P.V. (2000). Assessment of
area does not constitute a homogeneous system in lateral natural ground water recharge in upper Ganga canal command
extent. area.
8- Datta, P.S. (1999). Groundwater Situation in New Delhi: Red
Due to large uncertainties involved in the measurement of Alert, Nuclear Research Laboratory, IARI, New Delhi-12
individual parameters of each method, many researchers 9- McCartney, M.P. and Houghton-Carr, H.A. (1998). An
(Healy and Cook, 2002, Scanlon et al., 2002) have suggested assessment of groundwater recharge on the Channel Island of
Jersey. J-Inst-Water-Environ-Manag. Lavenham, Suffolk,
that it is highly beneficial to apply multiple methods of
England: Terrence Dalton Ltd. Dec. 12(6): 445-451.
estimation to arrive at somewhat reliable results. 10- Holtschlag, D.J., 1997, A generalized estimate of ground-water
recharge rates in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan: U.S.
McCartney and Houghton (1998) used three independent Geological Survey Water-Supply Paper 2437, 37 p
methods for the computation of groundwater recharge on the