Controls on groundwater flow in a semiarid folded and faulted intermountain basin

Lyndsay B. Ball; Jonathan Saul Caine; Shemin Ge

doi:10.1002/2013wr014451

journal article Aug 01, 2014

Controls on groundwater flow in a semiarid folded and faulted intermountain basin

Lyndsay B. Ball

Jonathan Saul Caine Shemin Ge

Water Resources Research Vol. 50 No. 8 pp. 6788-6809 · American Geophysical Union (AGU)

View at Publisher Save 10.1002/2013wr014451

Abstract

AbstractThe major processes controlling groundwater flow in intermountain basins are poorly understood, particularly in basins underlain by folded and faulted bedrock and under regionally realistic hydrogeologic heterogeneity. To explore the role of hydrogeologic heterogeneity and poorly constrained mountain hydrologic conditions on regional groundwater flow in contracted intermountain basins, a series of 3‐D numerical groundwater flow models were developed using the South Park basin, Colorado, USA as a proxy. The models were used to identify the relative importance of different recharge processes to major aquifers, to estimate typical groundwater circulation depths, and to explore hydrogeologic communication between mountain and valley hydrogeologic landscapes. Modeling results show that mountain landscapes develop topographically controlled and predominantly local‐scale to intermediate‐scale flow systems. Permeability heterogeneity of the fold and fault belt and decreased topographic roughness led to permeability controlled flow systems in the valley. The structural position of major aquifers in the valley fold and fault belt was found to control the relative importance of different recharge mechanisms. Alternative mountain recharge model scenarios showed that higher mountain recharge rates led to higher mountain water table elevations and increasingly prominent local flow systems, primarily resulting in increased seepage within the mountain landscape and nonlinear increases in mountain block recharge to the valley. Valley aquifers were found to be relatively insensitive to changing mountain water tables, particularly in structurally isolated aquifers inside the fold and fault belt.

Topics

No keywords indexed for this article. Browse by subject →

References

52

[1]

Ball L. B.(2012) Groundwater flow in an intermountain basin: Hydrological geophysical and geological exploration of South Park PhD dissertation 255pp. Dep. of Geol. Sci. Univ. of Colorado Boulder Colo.

[2]

10.1007/s10040-010-0587-z

[3]

Belitz K. "Hydrodynamics of Denver basin: Explanation of subnormal fluid pressures" AAPG Bull. (1988)

[4]

Bossong C. R. J. S.Caine D. I.Stannard J. L.Flynn M. R.Stevens andJ. S.Heiny‐Dash(2003) Hydrologic conditions and assessment of water resources in the Turkey Creek Watershed Jefferson County Colorado 1998–2001 U.S. Geol. Surv. Water Resour. Invest. Rep. 03‐4034 148pp.

[5]

Bruce B. W. andR. A.Kimbrough(1999) Hydrologic and water‐quality data for surface water ground water and springs in north‐central Park County Colorado April 1997‐November 1998 U.S. Geol. Surv. Open File Rep. 99–183 37pp. 10.3133/ofr99183

[6]

Bryant B. L.McGrew andR. A.Wobus(1981) Geologic map of the Denver 1 × 2 quadrangle north‐central Colorado U.S. Geol. Surv. Misc. Invest. Ser. I‐1163.

[7]

Caine J. S. A. H.Manning P. L.Verplanck D. J.Bove K. G.Kahn andS.Ge(2006) Well construction information lithologic logs water level data and overview of research in Handcart Gulch Colorado An alpine watershed affected by metalliferous hydrothermal alteration U.S. Geol. Surv. Open File Rep. 2006‐1189 14pp. 10.3133/ofr20061189

[8]

10.1080/07900620601185649

[9]

Chapman J. B. "Chemical and isotopic evaluation of water sources to the fens of South Park, Colorado" Environ. Geol. (2003) 10.1007/s00254-002-0678-9

[10]

10.1139/b96-217

[11]

10.3354/cr022099

[12]

10.1111/j.1745-6584.1964.tb01750.x

[13]

Diersch H. J. G. (1998)

[14]

Emery P. A. A. J.Boettcher R. J.Snipes andH. J. J.McIntyre(1971) Hydrology of the San Luis valley south‐central Colorado U.S. Geol. Surv. Hydrol. Invest. Atlas HA‐381 2pp.

[15]

10.1029/wr024i007p01011

[16]

10.1029/wr024i007p00999

[17]

10.1007/s10040-012-0848-0

[18]

10.1029/2008wr006848

[19]

10.1029/2010gl045565

[20]

10.1111/j.1745-6584.2005.00090.x

[21]

10.1175/2010ei370.1

[22]

10.1130/gsab-p2-90-1196

[23]

Geological implications of a permeability-depth curve for the continental crust

S. E. Ingebritsen, Craig E. Manning

Geology 10.1130/0091-7613(1999)027<1107:gioapd>2.3.co;2

[24]

Jehn J. (1997)

[25]

10.1029/2009gl041251

[26]

10.1139/b03-017

[27]

10.1111/j.1745-6592.2006.00125.x

[28]

E. H. Keating "Coupling basin and site scale inverse models of the Espanola Aquifer" Groundwater (2003) 10.1111/j.1745-6584.2003.tb02583.x

[29]

Legg T. M. (2011)

[30]

10.1029/95wr00422

[31]

10.1029/96wr02101

[32]

10.1007/s10040-010-0696-8

[33]

An integrated environmental tracer approach to characterizing groundwater circulation in a mountain block

Andrew H. Manning, D. Kip Solomon

Water Resources Research 10.1029/2005wr004178

[34]

10.1111/j.1745-6584.2003.tb02601.x

[35]

10.1002/grl.50424

[36]

PRISM Climate Group (2006)

[37]

Robinson C. S. "Hydrology of fractured crystalline rocks, Henderson Mine, Colorado" Mining Engineering (1978)

[38]

Ruleman C. A. R. G.Bohannon B.Bryant R. R.Shroba andW. R.Premo(2011) Geologic map of the Bailey 30′ × 60′ quadrangle north‐central Colorado U.S. Geol. Surv. Sci. Invest. Map 3156 38pp. 10.3133/sim3156

[39]

10.1029/2003jb002855

[40]

10.1007/s10040-004-0326-4

[41]

10.1002/hyp.6335

[42]

Spahr N. E.(1981) Variations in climatic characteristics as related to evapotranspiration in South Park central Park County Colorado U.S. Geol. Surv. Water Resour. Invest. 80–86 162pp.

[43]

Sterne E. J. "Stacked, evolved triangle zones along the southeastern flank of the Colorado Front Range" Mt. Geol. (2006)

[44]

D. D. Susong "Water resources in the area of the Snyderville basin and Park City in Summit County, Utah" U.S. Geol. Surv. Fact Sheet (1998)

[45]

10.1111/j.1745-6584.1998.tb02835.x

[46]

Topper R. K. L.Spray W. H.Bellis J. L.Hamilton andP. E.Barkmann(2003) Ground water atlas of Colorado Spec. Publ. 53 Colo. Geol. Surv. Denver Colo. 210pp.

[47]

10.1029/jz068i016p04795

[48]

10.1029/2002wr001298

[49]

10.1029/2011wr010901

[50]

Wilson J. L. (2004)

Showing 50 of 52 references

Cited By

28

Evaluating mountain recharge in Yamanashi, Japan, using stable isotopes and a hydrogeological groundwater flow model

Cuong Quoc Nguyen, Tatsuki Kimura · 2025

Hydrology Research

Groundwater circulation patterns in bedrock aquifers from a pre-selected area of high-level radioactive waste repository based on two-dimensional numerical simulation

Lulu Li, Qiulan Zhang · 2022

Journal of Hydrology

Metrics

28

Citations

52

References

Details

Published: Aug 01, 2014
Vol/Issue: 50(8)
Pages: 6788-6809
License: View

Authors

L

Lyndsay B. Ball

U.S. Geological Survey Denver Colorado USA

J

Jonathan Saul Caine

U.S. Geological Survey Denver Colorado USA

S

Shemin Ge

Department of Geological Sciences University of Colorado Boulder Colorado USA

Cite This Article

Lyndsay B. Ball, Jonathan Saul Caine, Shemin Ge (2014). Controls on groundwater flow in a semiarid folded and faulted intermountain basin. Water Resources Research, 50(8), 6788-6809. https://doi.org/10.1002/2013wr014451

Controls on groundwater flow in a semiarid folded and faulted intermountain basin

You May Also Like