The relative contributions of summer and cool-season precipitation to groundwater recharge, Spring Mountains, Nevada, USA

Hydrogeology Journal
By: , and 

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Abstract

 A comparison of the stable-isotope signatures of spring waters, snow, snowmelt, summer (July thru September) rain, and cool season (October thru June) rain indicates that the high-intensity, short-duration summer convective storms, which contribute approximately a third of the annual precipitation to the Spring Mountains, provide only a small fraction (perhaps 10%) of the recharge to this major upland in southern Nevada, USA. Late spring snowmelt is the principal means of recharging the fractured Paleozoic-age carbonate rocks comprising the central and highest portion of the Spring Mountains. Daily discharge measurements at Peak Spring Canyon Creek during the period 1978–94 show that snowpacks were greatly enhanced during El Niño events.


Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title The relative contributions of summer and cool-season precipitation to groundwater recharge, Spring Mountains, Nevada, USA
Series title Hydrogeology Journal
DOI 10.1007/s100400050135
Volume 6
Issue 1
Year Published 1998
Language English
Publisher Springer
Description 17 p.
First page 77
Last page 93
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