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A Perspective on Diffuse Natural Recharge Mechanisms in Areas of Low Precipitation
Author(s) -
Stephens Daniel B.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
soil science society of america journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.836
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1435-0661
pISSN - 0361-5995
DOI - 10.2136/sssaj1994.03615995005800010006x
Subject(s) - groundwater recharge , evapotranspiration , infiltration (hvac) , surface runoff , precipitation , environmental science , hydrology (agriculture) , depression focused recharge , arid , spatial variability , geology , soil science , aquifer , groundwater , geography , ecology , meteorology , geotechnical engineering , paleontology , statistics , mathematics , biology
Extensive studies document that significant recharge can occur in arid and semiarid climates, even where annual potential evapotranspiration exceeds precipitation. This overview focuses on the importance of considering diffuse recharge mechanisms. The recharge mechanisms discussed include infiltration, redistribution, and evapotranspiration, particularly as they are influenced by climate, spatial heterogeneity, anisotropy, preferential flow, and multidimensional flow. Diffuse recharge, calculated for sites having substantially different geography and soil types, only varies by roughly four orders of magnitude. Temporal variability in recharge is attributed primarily to variability in precipitation patterns, evapotranspiration demands, runoff characteristics, and soil hydraulic properties. Examples of field studies of diffuse recharge emphasize sites in New Mexico.