Browsing by Author "Eilers, V. H. M."
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Item Open Access The estimation of groundwater recharge by soil water balance in semi-arid regions(Cranfield University, 2002-08) Eilers, V. H. M.; Carter, Richard C.Quantification of groundwater recharge is a crucial prerequisite for sustainable groundwater resource management, particularly in semi-arid areas where there are large demands for groundwater supplies. This research presents an alternative approach for recharge estimation based on the soil water balance technique. The purpose is to develop a model which provides a suitable balance between physical credibility and data which realistically can be gathered. A spreadsheet model was written based on the conceptual representation of the principal physical processes which actually affect recharge in a semi-arid area. Alternative procedures were included in order to represent: (a) the estimation of runoff, (b) the inclusion of the period with predominant bare soil evaporation and (c) the accounting for evapotranspiration following rainfall on dry soil. The model was tested using real data from a semi-arid region (Northeast Nigeria) making use of selected periods of days and years in order to illustrate the principal model characteristics. The results were presented in the form of diagrams and graphs helping to visualise the interactions between the physical components and the effect of the additional procedures on recharge estimation. The credibility of the model was investigated using an alternative concept of "analysis of plausibility". This concept makes use of as wide as possible a range of quantitative and qualitative information from the hydrological system in order to verify the robustness of the model when extensive datasets required by conventional validation techniques are not available. The results suggested that the modelled recharge is physically sound and it is in line with the overall determination of recharge in semi-arid areas by a range of methods. The soil water balance model was utilised to explore important aspects of recharge in semi-arid regions showing the effect of the field variability on the model's output. The preliminary results show that the developed concept reasonably represents the inherent field variability, thus corroborating the strength of the approach for recharge estimation in semi-arid regions.Item Open Access A single layer soil water balance model for estimating deep drainage (potential recharge): An application to cropped land in semi-arid North-east Nigeria.(Elsevier, 2007-06-15) Eilers, V. H. M.; Carter, Richard C.; Rushton, Keith R.The understanding and quantification of groundwater recharge in semi-arid areas are fundamental to sound management of water resources in such areas. A soil water balance model, if designed to adequately represent the physical processes involved, and if carried out with a short enough (daily) time step, can provide realistic estimates of deep drainage (potential recharge) over long periods. We describe a single store (single layer) mass water balance model applicable to semi-arid areas, which recognises the wetting of the near surface during rainfall, with subsequent availability of water for evaporation and transpiration in the days following rainfall. The model allows for the major hydrological processes taking place at or near the soil-vegetation surface including runoff. Model results are presented for North-east Nigeria, for a continuous period of 36 years during which mean annual rainfall was 431 mm (range 321–650 mm) and mean annual modelled deep drainage was 14 mm (range 0–95 mm, with 23 years having zero potential recharge). The modelling results indicate that annual rainfall totals are not the main predictor of annual recharge. The temporal distribution of daily rainfall and the magnitude of the antecedent (pre-season) soil moisture deficit are the strongest determinants of deep drainage at a particular location, in a particular year. Sensitivity analysis of soil and vegetation parameters suggests that deep drainage is most sensitive to water holding capacity and rooting depth. These are key parameters which determine spatial variability of potential recharge. The model is shown to be plausible by examination of the concepts which underlie it, by comparison with field soil moisture measurements, and by the model's ability to represent qualitative observations of crop yield variations from year to year. Future development of the model could include applications to other climatic conditions and the inclusion of other hydrologic processes.