Stable isotopes of water as a tracer for revealing spatial and temporal characteristics of groundwater recharge surrounding Qinghai Lake,China

Studying spatial and temporal characteristics of regional groundwater recharge will guide the scientific management and sustainable development of regional water resources.This study investigated stable isotopes(δ^(18)O and δ^(2) H)of precipitation,groundwater,river water and lake water during 2019-2020 in Qinghai Lake Basin to reveal the spatial and temporal characteristics of groundwater recharge.The local meteoric water line was simulated using ordinary least squares regression(δ^(2) H=7.80δ^(18)O+10.60).The local evaporation lines of the river water,lake water and groundwater were simulated asδ^(2) H=6.21δ^(18)O-0.72,δ^(2) H=5.73δ0-3.60 and δ^(2) H=6.59δ0+1.76,respectively.The δ^(2) H and δ^(18)O of river water and groundwater were in more depleted values due to the recharge by precipitation at high altitudes or precipitation effects,and theδ^(2) H andδ^(18)O of the lake water were in more enriched values because of evaporation.The relationship between the δ^(2) H and δ^(18)O of groundwater and river water was not significantly different,indicating a strong hydrological connection between the groundwater and river water surrounding Qinghai Lake.Additionally,the maximum values of δ^(18)O and the minimum values of lc-excess of groundwater in most regions were both in August,and the minimum values of δ^(18)O and the maximum values of lc-excess of groundwater in most regions were both in October.Therefore,the groundwater was recharged by soil water with strong evaporation in August and recharged by precipitation at high altitudes in October.The recharge rate of groundwater was relatively fast in areas with large slopes and large hydraulic gradients(e.g.,south of Qinghai Lake),and in areas with strong hydrological connections between the groundwater and river water(e.g.,the Buha River Valley).Those results can provide data support for protection and utilization of water resources in Qinghai Lake Basin,and provide reference for groundwater research in closed lake basins on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Exploring the groundwater response to rainfall in a translational landslide using the master recession curve method and cross-correlation function

Rainfall is a common trigger for landslide reactivation,as it raises groundwater levels and reduces bedrock or soil shear resistance.This study focuses on the Kualiangzi landslide in the southern region of Sichuan Province,China.Real-time monitoring of groundwater levels and rainfall from July 2013 to September 2016 is analyzed.Groundwater table increments,considering groundwater drainage rate,were calculated using the water-table fluctuation and master recession curve method and the response time of the groundwater table to rainfall events was estimated using the cross-correlation function.Results reveal that groundwater level declines from tension troughs to landslide fronts in the rainy season,with a significant positive correlation between the groundwater level in the tension trough and landslide surface displacement.Evaluated spring elevations for groundwater discharge range from 410 m to 440 m,which is in agreement with the actual spring elevations(390-423 m).Lag times of groundwater response to rainfall decreases with cumulative rainfall of the rainy periods.In the middle part of the landslide,two responses between rainfall and groundwater levels indicate two water movement pathways:Vertical cracks or fractures resulting from the slow landslide movement,and matrix pore space in unconsolidated sediment.Variations in peak values of the cross-correlation function suggest early dominance of the uniform matrix flow and later dominance of preferential flow during the rainy period.

Hydrological Processes in a Small Research Watershed under Forest Coverage in the Coast of Chiapas, Mexico

In the hydrological watershed, some natural processes take place in which the interaction of water, soil, climate and vegetation favors the capture of water. The present study aimed to evaluate preliminary information regarding the hydrological response and the water balance in a small research watershed with tropical forest cover (15°01'44''N and 92°13'55''W, 471 m, 2.3 has). Events of precipitation, direct runoff, infiltration rate and baseflow were performed. The amount, duration and intensity of rainfall events were recorded with the use of a pluviograph. Surface runoff was quantified with an established gauging station, an H-type gauging device and a horizontal mechanical gauging limnograph. Runoff base flow was measured at the gauging station using the volume-time method. Infiltration was measured using a triple ring infiltrometer, taking two measurements in the upper part and two in the lower part of the microbasin. Evapotranspiration was measured with the amount of rainfall entering and runoff leaving the watershed. In the study period, annual rainfall of 4417.6 mm distributed over 181 events were recorded;about 70% of the storms showed lower intensities at 20 mm·h-1. The total runoff was 345.8 mm caused by half of the rainfall events, which represents 7.8% of the total rain;77% of runoff events showed lower sheets of 5 mm and an average specific rate of 20.7 L·s-1·ha-1 with a maximum of 113.6 L·s-1·ha-1. Three runoff events were greater than 20.1 mm and caused the 22.5% of the total runoff depth in the study period showing the equilibrium conditions in the hydrological response of the forest. Water outputs like baseflow was 669.5 mm. In this way, 90% of the rainfall is infiltrated every year in the micro-watershed, which shows the importance of the plant cover in the hydrological regulation and the groundwater recharge.

Impact of Land Use Change on Groundwater Recharge in Guishui River Basin,China

It is important to understand how land use change impacts groundwater recharge, especially for regions that are undergoing rapid urbanization and there is limited surface water. In this study, the hydrological processes and re- charge ability of various land use types in Guishui River Basin, China （in Beijing Municipality） were analyzed. The impact of land use change was investigated based on water balance modeling, WetSpass and GIS. The results indicate that groundwater recharge accounts for only 21.16% of the precipitation, while 72.54% is lost in the form of evapotranspiration. The annual-lumped groundwater recharge rate decreases in the order of cropland, grassland, urban land, and forest. Land use change has resulted in a decrease of 4 x 106 m3 of yearly groundwater recharge in the study area, with a spatially averaged rate of 100.48 mm/yr and 98.41 mm/yr in 1980 and 2005, respectively. This variation has primarily come from an increase of urban area and rural settlements, as well as a decrease of cropland.

Spatial and temporal variation of groundwater recharge in shallow aquifer in the Thepkasattri of Phuket,Thailand

Whether groundwater resources can be sustainably utilized is largely determined and characterized by hydrogeological parameters.Estimating the groundwater recharge is one of the essential parameters for managing water resources and protecting water resources from contamination.This study researched the spatial and temporal variation of groundwater recharge in the Thepkasattri sub-district through integrating chloride mass balance(CMB)and water table fluctuation(WTF)methods.The chloride content of representative rainfall and groundwater samples was analyzed.Besides,WTF method was adopted from groundwater level data from 2012 to 2015.According to the CMB method,the mean recharge was estimated to be 1172 mm per year,accounting for 47%of the annual rainfall.Moreover,the estimated recharge from the WTF method took 26%of annual rainfall in 2015.The recharge was underestimated according to the WTF method,because of the uncertainty in specific yield estimates and the number of representative wells in the study area.Moreover,the correlation between rainfall and water table fluctuation data indicated the positive linear relationship between two parameters.The spatial recharge prediction indicated that recharge was higher(1200-1400 mm/yr)in the eastern and western catchment,while that in the central floodplains was between 800 mm/yr and 1100 mm/yr.In addition,low recharge value between 450 mm/yr and 800 mm/yr was observed in the south-west part of Thepkasattri.The spatial variation of recharge partly reflects the influences of land use and land cover of the study area.

Quantification of groundwater recharge and evapotranspiration along a semi-arid wetland transect using diurnal water table fluctuations

Groundwater is a vital water resource in arid and semi-arid areas.Diurnal groundwater table fluctuations are widely used to quantify rainfall recharge and groundwater evapotranspiration(ET_(g)).To assess groundwater resources for sustainable use,we estimated groundwater recharge and ET_(g) using the diurnal water table fluctuations at three sites along a section with different depths to water table(DWT)within a wetland of the Mukai Lake in the Ordos Plateau,Northwest China.The water table level was monitored at an hourly resolution using a Keller DCX-22 A data logger that measured both the total pressure and barometric pressure,so that the effect of barometric pressure could be removed.At this study site,a rapid water table response to rainfall was observed in two shallow wells(i.e.,Obs1 and Obs2),at which diurnal water table fluctuations were also observed over the study period during rainless days,indicating that the main factors influencing water table variation are rainfall and ET_(g).However,at the deep-water table site(Obs3),the groundwater level only reacted to the heaviest rainfalls and showed no diurnal variations.Groundwater recharge and ET_(g) were quantified for the entire hydrological year(June 2017–June 2018)using the water table fluctuation method and the Loheide method,respectively,with depth-dependent specific yields.The results show that the total annual groundwater recharge was approximately 207 mm,accounting for 52%of rainfall at Obs1,while groundwater recharge was approximately 250 and 21 mm at Obs2 and Obs3,accounting for 63%and 5%of rainfall,respectively.In addition,the rates of groundwater recharge were mainly determined by rainfall intensity and DWT.The daily mean ET_(g) at Obs1 and Obs2 over the study period was 4.3 and 2.5 mm,respectively,and the main determining factors were DWT and net radiation.

Recharge and Groundwater Quality of an Alluvial Aquifer： Case of the City of N＇djamena （Chad）

Isotopic tracers and water quality indicators （TDS （Total Dissolved Solid）, Cl^- and NO3^-contents） were used to characterize the recharge and control of the quality of groundwater in the alluvial aquifer beneath of the N＇djamena city. For this study, a total of 92 waters samples were taken and this included 67 wells, 21 pumps and 4 surface waters. Some groundwater has 6180 and 62H values close to those of the city of N＇djamena and/or the Chad river rains. However, all sampled points are below the Global Meteoric Water Line reflecting their evaporated characters. The interpretation of the isotopic tracers highlights that the recharge of the analyzed ground waters may result from two major mechanisms： （1） direct infiltration of local precipitation; （2） lateral inflow of river waters. The upper aquifer is the most vulnerable to pollution, especially during the recharge period. This pollution is due to the leaching of soils during the rainy season and the rise of the groundwater level which accompanies the overflowing of the Chad and causes the leaching of the polluted horizons of the unsaturated zone. In contrast, the lower aquifer has acceptable concentrations of solutes.

A Novel Approach for Groundwater Budgeting Using GIS in a Part of Pondicherry Region, India

The over extraction of groundwater from the coastal aquifers, result in reduction of groundwater resource and lowering of water level. In general, the depletion of groundwater level enhances the landward migration of saltwater wedge. Pondicherry is one such region with recent alluvium as the major formation. Since the study area forms a part of the coastal aquifer system this behaves as a fragile ecosystem. The present study has been attempted to calculate the extraction of water and to estimate the amount of recharge into this alluvial aquifer by using groundwater level variations. The monthly water level fluctuation was observed during the study period (2000-2002) in eighteen locations. The maximum rise in groundwater level observed during 2000 was considered as the initial water level for the study and the subsequent decline in water level (draw down) was monitored monthly until the rising trend was noted. This indicates the fall in water level due to extraction. Later keeping the deepest draw down as the initial value increasing water level trend was studied until there was a notice of decline in groundwater level. This indicates as the rise in water level due to recharge. This method of observation carried out at a single location was adopted for all eighteen locations. The spatial representation of these data for eighteen locations were carried out by using GIS and the area occupied by different groundwater level contours were calculated and the amount of water withdrawn/re- charged was estimated. The maximum recharge was noted in the central and the northern part of the study area when compared to the other regions. Similarly, the maximum discharge was noted in the northern and the southern part of the study area during the study period.

Dynamics of groundwater recharge near a semi-arid Mediterranean intermittent stream under wet and normal climate conditions

In arid and semi-arid stream-dominated systems,the temporal variability in groundwater recharge has not been widely addressed.Various questions remain about the sources of groundwater recharge,its patterns,and the appropriate measuring techniques.Hence,the main objective of the present study was to assess the changes that might affect the pattern of groundwater recharge under wetter than normal surface water availability.Therefore,the groundwater depth was monitored near a semi-arid Mediterranean intermittent stream on the piedmont of the High Atlas Mountains in the mountain catchment of the Wadi Rheraya over two hydrological years(2014-2016)with different climate conditions:extreme wet and normal conditions.Groundwater recharge was assessed using the episodic master recession algorithm.During the two years,the pattern of groundwater recharge was dominated by episodic events and by a high seasonality from wet seasons to dry seasons.In the wet year(2014-2015),the highest groundwater recharge was recorded following an extreme flood,which deeply replenished groundwater.Furthermore,an exceptional steady state of the groundwater depth was induced by a steady groundwater recharge rate.For several groundwater recharge events,the assessed recharge had multiple sources,mainly from streamflow at the local scale,but possibly from precipitation,underflow,deep percolation or irrigation return from the upstream part of the catchment.Local recharge by streamflow was likely to be short-lived,and lateral recharge was likely to last longer.Consequently,the episodic master recession algorithm estimated the total groundwater recharge that could encompass various sources.In the future,more studies and multidisciplinary approaches should be carried out to partition these sources and determine their specific contributions.In semi-arid stream-dominated systems,different groundwater recharge patterns induced by extreme hydrological events(e.g.,wet events)and various potential sources of groundwater recharge should be considered when assessing and predicting groundwater recharge.

An approach to delineate groundwater recharge potential sites in Ambalantota,Sri Lanka using GIS techniques

The demand for fresh water in Hambantota District, Sri Lanka is rapidly increasing with the enormous amount of ongoing development projects in the region. Nevertheless, the district experiences periodic water stress conditions due to seasonal precipitation patterns and scarcity of surface water resources.Therefore, management of available groundwater resources is critical, to fulfil potable water requirements in the area. However, exploitation of groundwater should be carried out together with artificial recharging in order to maintain the long term sustainability of water resources. In this study, a GIS approach was used to delineate potential artificial recharge sites in Ambalantota area within Hambantota. Influential thematic layers such as rainfall, lineament, slope, drainage, land use/land cover, lithology, geomorphology and soil characteristics were integrated by using a weighted linear combination method. Results of the study reveal high to moderate groundwater recharge potential in approximately 49% of Ambalantota area.

Environmental Isotopic Characterization of Groundwater and Surface Water in Northeast Missan Province,South Iraq

The present work studies the environmental isotopes assess groundwater characteristics of the different parts of the main aquifer in the northeast Missan Province in south of Iraq. Water samples of groundwater and surface water were collected for two dry and wet seasons during the water year of 2011-2012. The study shows that most of the groundwater in the aquifer falls above the global meteoric water line, and all the samples fall below the Mediterranean meteoric water line, indicating that these samples are a mixture of two water types. The tritium content of these samples supports this conclusion. The overall conclusion of this study indicates that there are two sources of groundwater recharge in the studied area： the ephemeral streams （Teeb and Dewerge） and major precipitation sources. According to the tritium levels at or below one tritium unit （TU） obtained from the water, supply wells are highly confined or ＂not vulnerable＂. Overall, the 3^H results imply that recent recharge has taken place during the last four to five decades. In the recharge area, the high tritium content in the southern part of the Teeb area suggests that the recharge originates from rapid infiltration of surface runoff. Therefore, the groundwater resources in the study area should be protected from contamination, because it will influence the aquifer in a relatively short period of time if any contamination enters the recharge areas of the aquifer.

Application of Stable Isotope Tracing Technologies in Identification of Transformation among Waters in Sanjiang Plain,Northeast China

In order to investigate the transformation among the precipitation,groundwater,and surface water in the Sanjiang Plain,Northeast China,precipitation and groundwater samples which were collected at the meteorological station of the Sanjiang Mire Wetland Experimental Station,Chinese Academy of Sciences and the surface water which collected from the Wolulan River were used to identify the transformation of three types of water.The isotope composition of different kinds of water sources were analyzed via stable isotope(deuterium and oxygen-18) investigation of natural water.The results show a clear seasonal difference in the stable isotopes in precipitation.During the cold half-year,the mean stable isotope in precipitation in the Sanjiang Plain reaches its minimum with the minimum temperature.The δ18O and δD values are high in the rainy season.In the Wolulan River,the evaporation is the highest in August and September.The volume of evaporation and the replenishment to the river is mostly same.The groundwater is recharged more by the direct infiltration of precipitation than by the river flow.The results of this study indicate that the water bodies in the Sanjiang Plain have close hydrologic relationships,and that the transformation among each water system frequently occurs.

Natural water purification and water management by artificial groundwater recharge

Worldwide,several regions suffer from water scarcity and contamination.The infiltration and subsurface storage of rain and river water can reduce water stress.Artificial groundwater recharge,possibly combined with bank filtration,plant purification and/or the use of subsurface dams and artificial aquifers,is especially advantageous in areas where layers of gravel and sand exist below the earth's surface.Artificial infiltration of surface water into the uppermost aquifer has qualitative and quantitative advantages.The contamination of infiltrated river water will be reduced by natural attenuation.Clay minerals,iron hydroxide and humic matter as well as microorganisms located in the subsurface have high decontamination capacities.By this,a final water treatment,if necessary,becomes much easier and cheaper.The quantitative effect concerns the seasonally changing river discharge that influences the possibility of water extraction for drinking water purposes.Such changes can be equalised by seasonally adapted infiltration/extraction of water in/out of the aquifer according to the river discharge and the water need.This method enables a continuous water supply over the whole year.Generally,artificially recharged groundwater is better protected against pollution than surface water,and the delimitation of water protection zones makes it even more save.

Recharge to Blue Lake and Strategies for Water Security Planning, Mount Gambier, South Australia

Blue Lake, a volcanic crater provides municipal water supply to the city of Mount Gambier, population of 26,000. Current average annual pumping from the lake is 3.6 × 106 m3. The lake is fed by karstic unconfined Gambier Limestone aquifer. Storm water of the city discharges to the aquifer via about 400 drainage wells and three large sinkholes. Average annual storm water discharge is estimated at approximately 6.6 × 106 m3 through drainage wells and sinkholes within 16.8 km2 of the central part of the city. Chemical mass balance for calcium was used to estimate groundwater inflow to the lake at 6.3 × 106 m3, almost equal to the volume of storm water discharge and slightly higher than the previous estimates using environmental isotopes (4.8 - 6.0 × 106 m3). Considering the lake outflow volume of 2.7 × 106 m3, the net inflow to the lake equates to the current annual pumping and therefore it is considered that the current pumping rate is at the upper limit. For meeting the short-term future demand, confined aquifer water may be used and in the longerterm, an additional well field is required outside the Blue Lake capture zone, preferably to the north-east of the city. For water supply security, inflow to the lake along with water quality has to be maintained within the city. Current annual private abstraction within the capture zone is about 4.4 × 106 m3 and in order to maintain aquifer water levels, no additional allocation should be allowed.

Characterization of groundwater in the Ejina Basin,northwest China:hydrochemical and environmental isotopes approaches

To characterize the groundwater in the Ejina Basin,surface and groundwater samples were collected in May and October of 2002.On-site analyses included temperature,electrical conductance(EC),total alkalinity(as HCO 3) by titration,and pH.Chemical analyses were undertaken at the Geochemistry Laboratory of the Cold and Arid Region Environmental and Engineering Institute,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Lanzhou,China.The pH of the groundwater ranged from 7.18 to 8.90 with an average value of 7.72,indicating an alkaline nature.The total dissolved solids(TDS) of the groundwater ranged from 567.5 to 5,954.4 mg/L with an average of 1,543.1 mg/L and a standard deviation of 1,471.8 mg/L.According to the groundwater salinity classification of Robinove et al.(1958),47.4 percent of the samples were brackish and the remainder were fresh water.The ion concentration of the groundwater along the riverbed and near the southern margin of the basin were lower than those farther away from the riverbed.The groundwater in the study area was of Na +-HCO 3 type near the bank of the Heihe River and in the southern margin of the basin,while Na +-SO 4 2-Cl type samples were observed in the terminal lake region.In the desert area the groundwater reached a TDS of 3,000-6,000 mg/L and was predominantly by a Na +-Cl chemistry.Br/Cl for the water of Ejina Basin indicates an evaporite origin for the groundwater with a strongly depleted Br/Cl ratio(average 0.000484).The surface water was slightly enriched in Br/Cl(average 0.000711) compared with groundwater.The calculated saturation index(SI) for calcite and dolomite of the groundwater samples range from 0.89 to 1.31 and 1.67 to 2.67 with averaged 0.24 and 0.61,respectively.About 97 percent of the groundwater samples were kinetically oversaturated with respect to calcite and dolomite,and all the samples were below the equilibrium state with gypsum.Using isotope and hydrochemical analyses,this study investigated the groundwater evolution and its residence time.The groundwater content was mainly determined by the dissolutions of halite,gypsum,and Glauber’s salt(Na 2 SO 4),as well as Na + exchange for Ca 2+,and calcite and dolomite precipitation.With the exception of a few locations,most of the groundwater samples were suitable for irrigation uses.Most of the stable isotope compositions in the groundwater sampled plotted close to the Global Meteoric Water Line(GMWL),indicating that the groundwater was mainly sourced from meteoric water.There was evidence of enrichment of heavy isotopes in the groundwater due to evaporation.Based on the tritium content in atmospheric precipitation and by adopting the exponential-piston model(EPM),the mean residence time of the unconfined aquifer groundwater was evaluated.The results show that these groundwaters have low residence time(12 to 48 years) and are renewable.In contrast,the confined groundwater had 14 C ages estimated by the Pearson model between 4,087 to 9,364 years BP.Isotopic signatures indicated formation of deep confined groundwaters in a colder and wetter climate during the late Pleistocene and Holocene.

Evaluation of Interaction between Surface Water and Groundwater in the South of Hanoi City by Stable Isotope Technique

The δ18O and δ2H stable isotope techniques for studying properties of groundwater and surface help us to understand more clearly about the distribution and movement of groundwater in the South of Hanoi area. There were 68 water samples from the studying area and analyzed by a Liquid Water Isotope Analyzer (LWIA-24D). The stable isotope values of the groundwater from Pleistocene aquifers were range from -3.21‰ to -9.55‰ δ18O and -35.32‰ to -67.44‰ δ2H;rainwater from -8.18‰ to -4.13‰ δ18O and -61.19‰ to -17.93‰ δ2H;Red river water from -7.51‰ to -5.29‰ δ18O and -51.60‰ to -38.99‰ δ2H. Based on stable isotope characteristics, the results show that there was a relationship between surface water and groundwater in the South of Hanoi city. It is that groundwater recharges for river water in the dry season with 74%, and in the rainfall season groundwater is recharged from river with 87%.

Recharge Estimation of Hard Rock Aquifers under Sahelian Climate Conditions Using Water Table Fluctuation:Case Study of Tougou Catchment,Burkina Faso

This study aims to characterize water table fluctuations and estimate groundwater recharge in the Tougou catchment located in the Sahel zone of Burkina Faso. Water table fluctuation and groundwater budget approaches are developed on an experimental site equipped with observation wells. The trends of water fluctuations in the different layers of the weathering profile are similar. There is a time-lag response of groundwater recharge to the daily precipitation occurrences. The interaction between the upper (clayey alteration) and lower (transition zone-fractured schist complex) parts of the weathering profile shows that generally the hydraulic head in the upper part is higher than that of the lower part due to difference in drainage porosity. The latter varies at the catchment scale between 0.006 and 0.009 and is inversely proportional to the saturated thickness of the clayey alteration layer. The groundwater recharge is annually estimated between 36 and 49 mm, which correspond to 6% and 9% of mean annual rainfall in the catchment. Annual evapotranspiration was estimated to be about 223 to 443 mm.

Groundwater Flow Simulation and its Application in Groundwater Resource Evaluation in the North China Plain,China

The purpose of this study is to establish a 3D groundwater flow modelling for evaluating groundwater resources of the North China Plain. First, the North China Plain was divided into three aquifers vertically through a characterization of hydrogeological conditions. Groundwater model software GMS was used for modeling to divide the area of simulation into a regular network of 164 rows and 148 lines. This model was verified through fitting of the observed and the simulated groundwater flow fields at deep and shallow layers and comparison between the observed and simulated hydrographs at 64 typical observation wells. Furthermore, water budget analysis was also performed during the simulation period （2002-2003）. Results of the established groundwater flow model showed that the average annual groundwater recharge of the North China Plain during 1991 to 2003 was 256.68x10s m3/yr with safe yield of groundwater resources up to 213.49x10s m3/yr, in which safe yield of shallow groundwater and that of deep groundwater was up to 191.65x10s m3/yr and 22.64x10s m~/yr respectively. Finally, this model was integrated with proposal for groundwater withdrawal in the study area after commencement of water supply by South-North Water Transfer Project, aiming to predict the changing trend of groundwater regime. As indicated by prediction results, South-North Water Transfer Project, which is favorable for effective control of expansion and intensification of existing depression cone, would play a positive role in alleviation of short supply of groundwater in the North China Plain as well as maintenance and protection of groundwater.

Groundwater and surface water interactions in an alluvial plain, Tuul River Basin, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Drinking water supplies in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, are completely dependent on groundwater sourced from pumping wells located in an alluvial plain of the Tuul River which flows through Ulaanbaatar. The interaction between groundwater in the alluvial plain and river surface water was investigated using a hydrological and multi-tracers approach. The observed groundwater contour map clearly shows that the Tuul River recharges the floodplain groundwater and groundwater flows from east to west. The similarity of chemical and stable isotopic compositions suggests that groundwater is mainly recharged by Tuul River water in the vicinity of the river. In addition, considering groundwater contours and chemical composition, groundwater in the northern and southern mountain sides contribute to floodplain groundwater. Stable isotopic information suggests that winter season precipita- tion also contributes to the groundwater, because groundwater in a specific region has a considerably lower isotopic ratio. Using the End Member Mixing Analysis applying oxygen-18, SiO2 and HCO3 as tracers, the contribution ratios of the Tuul River, groundwater in the northem and southern mountain regions, and winter season precipitation to floodplain groundwater are esti- mated to be 58% to 85%, 1% to 54%, 0% to 16%, and 0% to 12%, respectively.

Application of HYDRUS-1D in understanding soil water movement at two typical sites in the North China Plain

Recharge and discharge, such as rainfall infiltration and evapotranspiration in vertical direction, are major processes of water cycle in the shallow groundwater area of the North China Plain. During these processes, soil water movement in the unsaturated zone plays an important role in the transformation from rainfall infiltration to groundwater. The soil water movement models were developed by using HYDRUS-1D software at two typical experimental sites in Cangzhou(CZ) and Hengshui(HS) with different soil, vegetation and similar climate conditions. As shown in the results, the comparison in precipitation infiltration features between the two sites is distinct. The soil water experiences strong evaporation after precipitation infiltration, which accounts for 63% of the total infiltration at the HS site where the soil is homogenous. It is this strong evaporation effect that leads to slight increase of soil water storage. At the CZ site, where the soil is heterogeneous, the evaporation effect exists from July to October of the simulation period. The total evaporation accounts for 33% of the total infiltration, and the evaporation rate is slow. At the end of the simulation period, the soil water storage increases and the water table decreases, indicating a strong storage capacity at this site.