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A lumped parameter balance model for modeling intramountain groundwater basins : application to the aquifer system of Shahrekord Plain, Iran

(2015) GEOLOGICA BELGICA. 18(2-4). p.80-91
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Abstract
Intramountain basins are the preferred locations for agricultural and socio-economical development in mountain regions. They often consist of considerable subsurface sedimentary fillings which hold an aquifer system suitable for groundwater exploitation. In semi-arid climates with distinct dry and wet seasons, groundwater is the main source of irrigation water in the dry periods. The risk for overdrafting of these basins is realistic when management of exploitation is not based on the water balance of the basin. When the outlet of the basin is narrow, groundwater interaction with surrounding basins is limited and the water balance becomes very sensitive to changes in the balance components, such as increasing pumping rates. This paper presents a lumped parameter water balance model for intramountain basins which incorporates: (1) the water inflow components of diffuse recharge from rainfall, lateral inflow from the surrounding mountains (mountain front recharge) and irrigation return flow on the cultivated land, and (2) the water outflow components as water capture from wells, springs and underground galleries, water loss from evapotranspiration and river and groundwater outflow out of the basin. Although the model has been developed for a specific basin in a semi-arid climate, it can easily be used for other basins in comparable hydrogeological settings. The model has been applied to the Shahrekord basin in central Iran, where intense agricultural activity has required large amounts of groundwater for irrigation in the dry summer months. Consequently piezometric levels have declined nearly continuously during the last decades because of overdrafting. The model has been applied for the period 1990-2004 and some of the water balance components have been estimated by calibrating the model using an optimisation routine. Additionally, some predictive runs have been done with the calibrated model to investigate future development under three different exploitation scenarios.
Keywords
groundwater overexploitation, water balance, soil moisture balance, mountain front recharge, leaky bucket model, semi-arid, central Iran, MOUNTAIN-FRONT RECHARGE, SOIL-MOISTURE, ALLUVIAL BASIN, BLOCK RECHARGE, WATER, CLASSIFICATION, EVAPORATION, ETHIOPIA, REGION, FLOW

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Citation

Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:

MLA
Van Camp, Marc, et al. “A Lumped Parameter Balance Model for Modeling Intramountain Groundwater Basins : Application to the Aquifer System of Shahrekord Plain, Iran.” GEOLOGICA BELGICA, vol. 18, no. 2–4, 2015, pp. 80–91.
APA
Van Camp, M., Radfar, M., & Walraevens, K. (2015). A lumped parameter balance model for modeling intramountain groundwater basins : application to the aquifer system of Shahrekord Plain, Iran. GEOLOGICA BELGICA, 18(2–4), 80–91.
Chicago author-date
Van Camp, Marc, Mahdi Radfar, and Kristine Walraevens. 2015. “A Lumped Parameter Balance Model for Modeling Intramountain Groundwater Basins : Application to the Aquifer System of Shahrekord Plain, Iran.” GEOLOGICA BELGICA 18 (2–4): 80–91.
Chicago author-date (all authors)
Van Camp, Marc, Mahdi Radfar, and Kristine Walraevens. 2015. “A Lumped Parameter Balance Model for Modeling Intramountain Groundwater Basins : Application to the Aquifer System of Shahrekord Plain, Iran.” GEOLOGICA BELGICA 18 (2–4): 80–91.
Vancouver
1.
Van Camp M, Radfar M, Walraevens K. A lumped parameter balance model for modeling intramountain groundwater basins : application to the aquifer system of Shahrekord Plain, Iran. GEOLOGICA BELGICA. 2015;18(2–4):80–91.
IEEE
[1]
M. Van Camp, M. Radfar, and K. Walraevens, “A lumped parameter balance model for modeling intramountain groundwater basins : application to the aquifer system of Shahrekord Plain, Iran,” GEOLOGICA BELGICA, vol. 18, no. 2–4, pp. 80–91, 2015.
@article{6869473,
  abstract     = {{Intramountain basins are the preferred locations for agricultural and socio-economical development in mountain regions. They often consist of considerable subsurface sedimentary fillings which hold an aquifer system suitable for groundwater exploitation. In semi-arid climates with distinct dry and wet seasons, groundwater is the main source of irrigation water in the dry periods. The risk for overdrafting of these basins is realistic when management of exploitation is not based on the water balance of the basin. When the outlet of the basin is narrow, groundwater interaction with surrounding basins is limited and the water balance becomes very sensitive to changes in the balance components, such as increasing pumping rates. This paper presents a lumped parameter water balance model for intramountain basins which incorporates: (1) the water inflow components of diffuse recharge from rainfall, lateral inflow from the surrounding mountains (mountain front recharge) and irrigation return flow on the cultivated land, and (2) the water outflow components as water capture from wells, springs and underground galleries, water loss from evapotranspiration and river and groundwater outflow out of the basin. Although the model has been developed for a specific basin in a semi-arid climate, it can easily be used for other basins in comparable hydrogeological settings. The model has been applied to the Shahrekord basin in central Iran, where intense agricultural activity has required large amounts of groundwater for irrigation in the dry summer months. Consequently piezometric levels have declined nearly continuously during the last decades because of overdrafting. The model has been applied for the period 1990-2004 and some of the water balance components have been estimated by calibrating the model using an optimisation routine. Additionally, some predictive runs have been done with the calibrated model to investigate future development under three different exploitation scenarios.}},
  author       = {{Van Camp, Marc and Radfar, Mahdi and Walraevens, Kristine}},
  issn         = {{1374-8505}},
  journal      = {{GEOLOGICA BELGICA}},
  keywords     = {{groundwater overexploitation,water balance,soil moisture balance,mountain front recharge,leaky bucket model,semi-arid,central Iran,MOUNTAIN-FRONT RECHARGE,SOIL-MOISTURE,ALLUVIAL BASIN,BLOCK RECHARGE,WATER,CLASSIFICATION,EVAPORATION,ETHIOPIA,REGION,FLOW}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2-4}},
  pages        = {{80--91}},
  title        = {{A lumped parameter balance model for modeling intramountain groundwater basins : application to the aquifer system of Shahrekord Plain, Iran}},
  url          = {{http://popups.ulg.ac.be/1374-8505/index.php?id=4943}},
  volume       = {{18}},
  year         = {{2015}},
}

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