Classifying the water table at regional to continental scales

Gleeson, Tom; Marklund, Lars; Smith, Leslie; Manning, Andrew H.

doi:10.1029/2010gl046427

Cited by 131 publications

(138 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…Topography-limited systems are more vulnerable to sea-level rise because the hydraulic head on the freshwater, landward side cannot rise in response to a rise on the seaward side ( Figure 1). Conditions which would produce these types of systems are similar to conditions for topography-controlled and recharge-controlled water tables described by Haitjema and Mitchell-Bruker [2005] and mapped over the contiguous United States by Gleeson et al [2011a]. Recharge-limited systems tend to be more arid, more mountainous, and/or more permeable, whereas topography-limited systems are humid, low-lying, and/or less permeable.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 73%

Global assessment of vulnerability to sea‐level rise in topography‐limited and recharge‐limited coastal groundwater systems

Michael

Russoniello

Byron

2013

Water Resources Research

181

133

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[1] Impacts of rising sea level on the hydraulic balance between aquifers and the ocean threaten fresh water resources and aquatic ecosystems along many world coastlines. Understanding the vulnerability of groundwater systems to these changes and the primary factors that determine the magnitude of system response is critical to developing effective management and adaptation plans in coastal zones. We assessed the vulnerability of two types of groundwater systems, recharge-limited and topography-limited, to changes caused by sea-level rise over a range of hydrogeologic settings. Vulnerability in this context is defined by the rate and magnitude of salinization of coastal aquifers and changes in groundwater flow to the sea. Two-dimensional variable-density groundwater flow and salt transport simulations indicate that the response of recharge-limited systems is largely minimal, whereas topography-limited systems are vulnerable for various combinations of permeability, vertical anisotropy in permeability, and recharge. World coastlines were classified according to system type as a vulnerability indicator. Results indicate that approximately 70% of world coastlines may be topography-limited, though variability in hydrogeologic conditions strongly affects classification. Future recharge and sea-level rise scenarios have much less influence on the proportion of vulnerable coastlines than differences in permeability, distance to a hydraulic divide, and recharge, indicating that hydrogeologic properties and setting are more important factors to consider in determining system type than uncertainties in the magnitude of sea-level rise and hydrologic shifts associated with future climate change.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 73%

Global assessment of vulnerability to sea‐level rise in topography‐limited and recharge‐limited coastal groundwater systems

Michael

Russoniello

Byron

2013

Water Resources Research

181

133

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“…Hence, our model suggests that bedrock of low conductivity is required for a significant portion of the hillslope relief to remain unweathered. As argued by Hatijema and Mitchell-Bruker (41) and explored by Gleeson et al (36,42), the tendency for a water table to reflect the local topography increases with decreasing hydraulic conductivity, Gleeson and Manning (43) further suggest that low-hydraulicconductivity crystalline rock within hillslope interiors limits the role of regional groundwater flow between watersheds.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

A bottom-up control on fresh-bedrock topography under landscapes

Rempe

Dietrich

2014

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

232

310

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The depth to unweathered bedrock beneath landscapes influences subsurface runoff paths, erosional processes, moisture availability to biota, and water flux to the atmosphere. Here we propose a quantitative model to predict the vertical extent of weathered rock underlying soil-mantled hillslopes. We hypothesize that once fresh bedrock, saturated with nearly stagnant fluid, is advected into the near surface through uplift and erosion, channel incision produces a lateral head gradient within the fresh bedrock inducing drainage toward the channel. Drainage of the fresh bedrock causes weathering through drying and permits the introduction of atmospheric and biotically controlled acids and oxidants such that the boundary between weathered and unweathered bedrock is set by the uppermost elevation of undrained fresh bedrock, Z b . The slow drainage of fresh bedrock exerts a "bottom up" control on the advance of the weathering front. The thickness of the weathered zone is calculated as the difference between the predicted topographic surface profile (driven by erosion) and the predicted groundwater profile (driven by drainage of fresh bedrock). For the steady-state, soil-mantled case, a coupled analytical solution arises in which both profiles are driven by channel incision. The model predicts a thickening of the weathered zone upslope and, consequently, a progressive upslope increase in the residence time of bedrock in the weathered zone. Two nondimensional numbers corresponding to the mean hillslope gradient and mean groundwater-table gradient emerge and their ratio defines the proportion of the hillslope relief that is unweathered. Field data from three field sites are consistent with model predictions.

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“…Typically, the occurrence of ephemeral and intermittent streams is greatest in watersheds with low annual runoff and high water surplus seasonality, but this is also influenced by watershed geologic and edaphic features (Gleeson et al. ).…”

Section: Factors Influencing Connectivitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Connectivity of Streams and Wetlands to Downstream Waters: An Integrated Systems Framework

Leibowitz

Wigington

Schofield

et al. 2018

J American Water Resour Assoc

147

123

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Interest in connectivity has increased in the aquatic sciences, partly because of its relevance to the Clean Water Act. This paper has two objectives: (1) provide a framework to understand hydrological, chemical, and biological connectivity, focusing on how headwater streams and wetlands connect to and contribute to rivers; and (2) review methods to quantify hydrological and chemical connectivity. Streams and wetlands affect river structure and function by altering material and biological fluxes to the river; this depends on two factors: (1) functions within streams and wetlands that affect material fluxes; and (2) connectivity (or isolation) from streams and wetlands to rivers that allows (or prevents) material transport between systems. Connectivity can be described in terms of frequency, magnitude, duration, timing, and rate of change. It results from physical characteristics of a system, e.g., climate, soils, geology, topography, and the spatial distribution of aquatic components. Biological connectivity is also affected by traits and behavior of the biota. Connectivity can be altered by human impacts, often in complex ways. Because of variability in these factors, connectivity is not constant but varies over time and space. Connectivity can be quantified with field-based methods, modeling, and remote sensing. Further studies using these methods are needed to classify and quantify connectivity of aquatic ecosystems and to understand how impacts affect connectivity.

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Classifying the water table at regional to continental scales

Cited by 131 publications

References 33 publications

Global assessment of vulnerability to sea‐level rise in topography‐limited and recharge‐limited coastal groundwater systems

Global assessment of vulnerability to sea‐level rise in topography‐limited and recharge‐limited coastal groundwater systems

A bottom-up control on fresh-bedrock topography under landscapes

Connectivity of Streams and Wetlands to Downstream Waters: An Integrated Systems Framework

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