Water Distribution from Artificial Recharge via Infiltration Basin under Constant Head Conditions

Abstract

The vadose zone plays a significant role during artificial recharge via the infiltration basin. Its thickness, lithology, heterogeneity, among others greatly affect the recharge efficiency. The main objective of this research is to establish the role of the vadose zone and the impacts of infiltration basin features and vadose zone factors on water distributions. In this work, an ideal conceptual model was considered, and mathematical models were built using HYDRUS (2D/3D) software package version 2.05. A total of 138 numerical experiments were implemented under seven types of experimental conditions. The experimental data were analyzed with the aid of correlation and regression analysis. The results showed that infiltration basin features and vadose zone factors had various impacts on water distribution, low permeability formation had various effects on evaporation depending on its depth, and there were consistent, similar, or different variation trends between infiltration and recharge. In conclusion, it is recommended that when the vadose zones are to be chosen as an infiltration basin site, the trade-off among the infiltration, recharge, storage, and evaporation should be seriously considered. This paper may contribute to a better understanding of the vadose zone as a buffer zone for artificial recharge.

Evaluation of the Offsets of Artificial Recharge on the Extra Run-Off Induced by Urbanization and Extreme Storms Based on an Enhanced Semi-Distributed Hydrologic Model with an Infiltration Basin Module

“…With the increment in the area of infiltration basins, the annual infiltration was predicted to increase (Figure 8a), and the annual discharge was predicted to decrease (Figure 8b). A similar relationship between the radius of infiltration basins and infiltration was also observed by Qi et al [7] in their simulation. With an infiltration basin area of 0.36%, the annual infiltration was predicted to be 27.91 mm (Figure 8a), and the annual discharge was predicted to be 98.98 mm (Figure 8b), similar to the annual discharge in the present scenario (i.e., 98.81 mm).…”

“…To explore the functionality of the infiltration basin, more scenarios with infiltration basins were built based on the future baseline scenario. Qi et al ( 2021) assessed the impacts of water head in infiltration basins on artificial recharge and assumed the water head range was from 0.1 to 1 m [7]. In this study, the depth of infiltration basins was assumed to be 1 m for a maximal water head of 1 m. The availability of the upstream surface runoff was not considered in this primary study.…”

“…Both issues have led to a rapid groundwater decline globally and threaten groundwater resources [5,6]. In response, managed aquifer recharge has emerged as a promising water resource management technique to address existing challenges and meet the heightened water demand in the latter half of the twenty-first century under more severe drought conditions [5][6][7][8][9]. Moreover, it has been widely adopted worldwide [10].…”

“…However, they are not capable of modeling the hydrologic processes in artificial infiltration basins. First, the area-storage relationship (i.e., shape) is depicted using exponential equations or assuming a cone [26], while infiltration basins are shallow and wide [7,27]. Second, there are two thresholds for the outflow of impoundment [26].…”

Assessing the Impacts of Future Climate and Land-Use Changes on Streamflow under Multiple Scenarios: A Case Study of the Upper Reaches of the Tarim River in Northwest China

“…LUCC alters streamflow by affecting evapotranspiration, interception, and infiltration. Simultaneously, the interactions between climate and land use make hydrological processes even more complex [2]. The assessment of streamflow responses to climate change and LUCC is crucial for water resources management [3][4][5].…”