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A combined methodology for estimating the potential natural aquifer recharge in an arid environment

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journal contribution
posted on 2019-10-03, 07:29 authored by Alberto Carletti, Simona Canu, Andrea Motroni, Giorgio Ghiglieri

An innovative methodology that combines an indirect physiography-based method for determining the runoff coefficient at a sub-basin scale and a water balance model applied on a daily time scale was developed to calculate the natural groundwater recharge in three watersheds within the Oum Zessar arid area, Tunisia. The effective infiltration was calculated as part of the water surplus by considering the average available water content (AWC) of soil and an average runoff coefficient for each sub-basin. The model indicates that the sub-basins covered mainly by the “artificial” soils of tabias and jessour, characterized by average AWC values greater than 150 mm, did not contribute to natural groundwater recharge over the 10-year period (2003–2012) considered. The estimated volume for the Triassic aquifer amounted to about 4.5 hm3 year−1, which is consistent with previous studies. For the Jurassic and Cretaceous aquifers, the estimated volumes amounted to about 200 dm3 year−1.

Funding

This study was carried out within the WADIS-MAR demonstration Project (2011-2016) (www.wadismar.eu) [Grant: ENPI/2011/280-008], funded by the EC under the Regional Programme “Sustainable Water Integrated Management” (SWIM) (www.swim-sm.eu), implemented under the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI), and coordinated by Prof. Giorgio Ghiglieri. It formed a part of a PhD study in Earth and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, titled “Trial of protocols and techniques for integrated groundwater management in arid and semi-arid regions to combat drought and desertification” carried out at University of Cagliari. The authors also thank the partial support of the RE-LIVE WASTE Project (www. re-livewaste.interreg-med.eu), funded by the Interreg MED Programme.

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