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WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH,
VOL. 38, NO. 10,
1215,
doi:10.1029/2001WR000735,
2002
Evaluation of unsaturated zone water fluxes in heterogeneous alluvium at a Mojave Basin Site
John R. Nimmo
U.S. Geological Survey,
Menlo Park,
California,
USA
Jeffrey A. Deason
U.S. Geological Survey,
Menlo Park,
California,
USA
John A. Izbicki
U.S. Geological Survey,
San Diego,
California,
USA
Peter Martin
U.S. Geological Survey,
San Diego,
California,
USA
Abstract
Vertical and horizontal water fluxes in the unsaturated zone near intermittent streams critically affect ecosystems, water
supply, and contaminant transport in arid and semiarid regions. The subsurface near the Oro Grande Wash is typical in having
great textural diversity, pronounced layer contrasts, and extremely low hydraulic conductivities associated with nearly dry
media. These features prevent a straightforward application of the Darcian method for recharge estimation, which has provided
high-quality flux estimates at simpler, wetter sites. We have augmented the basic Darcian method with theoretical developments
such that a small number of core sample unsaturated hydraulic property measurements, combined with additional, easily obtained
data (e.g., drillers' logs) can provide useful flux estimates and knowledge of two-dimensional water behavior beneath the
wash.
Published 29
October
2002.
Index Terms: 1824 Hydrology: Geomorphology (1625); 1829 Hydrology: Groundwater hydrology; 1866 Hydrology: Soil moisture; 1875 Hydrology: Unsaturated zone; 1884 Hydrology: Water supply.
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Citation: Nimmo, J. R., J. A. Deason, J. A. Izbicki, and P. Martin
(2002),
Evaluation of unsaturated zone water fluxes in heterogeneous alluvium at a Mojave Basin Site,
Water Resour. Res.,
38(10),
1215,
doi:10.1029/2001WR000735.
This paper is not subject to U.S. copyright. Published in 2002 by the
American Geophysical Union.
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