Abstract
The Mixing Cell Model (MCM) is a useful tool that can be applied to areas with limited hydrogeological data, such as arid areas in northwest China, to transform available groundwater hydrochemical data into quantitative information about an aquifer. In this study, we used the MCM to quantify water circulation in the study area and to analyze information such as the supply source composition and proportion of the confined aquifer, the main supply aquifer for local drinking water. The MCM simulation results showed that the confined aquifer in the study area is mainly recharged by leakage of water from the upper unconfined aquifer and lateral flow from the eastern and southern tablelands. Unconfined groundwater and lateral flow contributed to 67.69% and 32.31% of the recharge, respectively. The groundwater circulation model of the study area provided quantitative information about water circulation in different parts of the study area, represented by different cells known as A–F. The information from this model provides a scientific basis for the sustainable use and development of water resources in different parts of the study area.
Highlights
Arid areas, which are found on almost every continent, account for 40% of the earth’s land surface and supply food to more than 38% of the world’s population [1]
5).the unconfined groundwater is controlled by changes in topography, and study area flows from July (Figures 4toand mainly from2011 the southeast northwest and discharges into the Yellow River (Figure 4)
Confined water cells A, B, C, D, E, G, and H receive recharge from the overlying upper unconfined groundwater, and the corresponding source water cells have been labeled as a, b, c, d, e, unconfined groundwater, and the corresponding source water cells have been labeled as a, b, c, d, e, g, and h
Summary
Arid areas, which are found on almost every continent, account for 40% of the earth’s land surface and supply food to more than 38% of the world’s population [1]. In the meantime, Mixing Cell Model (MCM) was developed [22,23] to use environmental isotopic and water chemistry data to estimate the spatial distribution and the annual recharge rate of a specific aquifer [24]. The Wu-Ling irrigation area (Figure 1) is in an arid region of northwest China and located in the south of Yinchuan Plain of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region In this area, confined water is an important source of domestic drinking water. We constructed a conceptual model of groundwater circulation of the study area from a comprehensive analysis of information about the hydrometeorological conditions, terrain, landscape physiognomy, geology, hydrogeology, hydrodynamic characteristics of the phreatic and confined water, and the distribution of stable isotopes. The results of this study can be used as scientific basis for sustainable exploitation and use of confined water in the study area
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