Jackson TR, Steidle SD, Wendt KA, Dublyansky Y, Edwards RL, Spötl C. A 350,000-year history of groundwater recharge in the southern Great Basin, USA.
COMMUNICATIONS EARTH & ENVIRONMENT 2023;
4:98. [PMID:
38665190 PMCID:
PMC11041671 DOI:
10.1038/s43247-023-00762-0]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Estimating groundwater recharge under various climate conditions is important for predicting future freshwater availability. This is especially true for the water-limited region of the southern Great Basin, USA. To investigate the response of groundwater recharge to different climate states, we calculate the paleo recharge to a groundwater basin in southern Nevada over the last 350,000 years. Our approach combines a groundwater model with paleo-water-table data from Devils Hole cave. The minimum water-table during peak interglacial conditions was more than 1.6 m below modern levels, representing a recharge decline of less than 17% from present-day conditions. During peak glacial conditions, the water-table elevation was at least 9.5 m above modern levels, representing a recharge increase of more than 233-244% compared to present-day conditions. The elevation of the Devils Hole water-table is 3-4 times more sensitive to groundwater recharge during dry interglacial periods, compared to wet glacial periods. This study can serve as a benchmark for understanding long-term effects of past and future climate change on groundwater resources.
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