Abstract
Groundwater is of great significance in sustaining life on planet earth. The reliable estimation of groundwater recharge is the key understanding the groundwater reservoir and forecasting its potential accessibility. The main objective of this study was to assess the groundwater recharge and its controlling factors at the Ergene river catchment. A grid-based water balance model was adopted to determine the spatially distributed long-term groundwater recharge and other water budget components, relying upon the hydro-climatic variables, land-use, soil, geology, and relief of the investigated area. The model calculations were performed for the hydrological reference horizon of 20 years at a spatial resolution of 100 × 100 m. The base flow index (BFI) separation concept was applied to split up the simulated total runoff into groundwater recharge and direct runoff. Subsequently, the statistical methods of Pearson product–moment correlation and principal component analysis (PCA) were combined for identifying the dominant catchment and meteorological factors influencing the recharge. The average groundwater recharge over the investigated area amounts to 95 mm/year. The model validation and statistical analysis indicate that the difference between simulated and observed total runoff and recharge values is generally under 20% and no significant inconsistency was observed. PCA indicated that recharge is controlled, in order of significance, by land-use, soil, and climate variables. The findings of this research highlight the key role of spatial variables in recharge determination. In addition, the generated outputs may contribute to groundwater resource management in the Ergene river catchment.
Highlights
Groundwater is the capital source of freshwater for nearly half of the earth’s population for irrigation and domestic water needs [1]
The long-term annual mean of spatially distributed water budget components calculated with the mGROWA model over the study area for the period 1991–2010 are presented
The runoff maps reveal the individual runoff quantities produced in 100 × 100 m grid cells; the Ergene River flow rates passing through the investigated area are not included
Summary
Groundwater is the capital source of freshwater for nearly half of the earth’s population for irrigation and domestic water needs [1]. It is identified as a renewable water resource for supporting agricultural, industrial, environmental, and municipal domestic water demands [2]. The studies about groundwater recharge in a catchment or on a regional scale are crucial for determining the quantitative status of groundwater resources. Existing studies about groundwater in the Ergene catchment focused only on the groundwater quality [5,6], not on the quantity. The spatially distributed water budgets, including the recharge, have
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