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Hydrothermal Estimation of Vertical Ground‐Water Flow, Cañutillo, Texas
Author(s) -
Wade Shirley C.,
Reiter Marshall
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
groundwater
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.84
H-Index - 94
eISSN - 1745-6584
pISSN - 0017-467X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1745-6584.1994.tb00914.x
Subject(s) - aquifer , geology , flow (mathematics) , groundwater flow , hydraulic head , groundwater , vadose zone , head (geology) , water well , borehole , soil science , hydrology (agriculture) , mineralogy , geotechnical engineering , mechanics , geomorphology , physics
The vertical component of specific discharge was estimated across several depth zones in the aquifer system at Cañutillo, Texas. The specific discharge was estimated using temperature and thermal conductivity data from four observation wells bottoming near the base of the aquifer system. Specific discharge was first calculated (using a steady‐state model) from the slopes of conductive heat flow versus temperature plots. The heat flow plots for all four wells suggested a zone of downward ground‐water flow from ∼ 70 to ∼ 220 feet depth and one or two zones of upward flow from ∼ 800 to ∼ 220 feet depth. Head data from observation wells did support the conclusion of an upper zone of downflow as indicated by the temperature data; however, the head data suggested that ground water should presently be moving downward from ∼ 220 to ∼ 800 feet. A computer model was developed to determine if the temperatures may be remanent and therefore reflect prepumping ground‐water flow, particularly in the deep flow zone. Computer model estimates were made of during‐pumping downflow in the upper flow zone. For the deep flow zone computer model estimates were made of prepumping upflow. The computer model estimates and steady‐state vertical specific discharge estimates were similar for the upper zone having downward flow. In the deep zone prepumping upflow estimates modeled on the computer were the same order of magnitude as steady‐state heat flow specific discharge estimates. Hence, present temperature data may demonstrate a significant remanent groundwater flow component and therefore might be used to estimate past vertical ground‐water flow.