Geostatistical analysis of tritium, groundwater age and other noble gas derived parameters in California

A. Visser; J. E. Moran; D. Hillegonds; M. Singleton; Justin T. Kulongoski; Kenneth Belitz; B. Esser

doi:10.1016/j.watres.2016.01.004

Geostatistical analysis of tritium, groundwater age and other noble gas derived parameters in California

Water Research

By: A. Visser, J. E. Moran, D. Hillegonds, M. Singleton, Justin T. Kulongoski, Kenneth Belitz, and B. Esser

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2016.01.004

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Abstract

Key characteristics of California groundwater systems related to aquifer vulnerability, sustainability, recharge locations and mechanisms, and anthropogenic impact on recharge are revealed in a spatial geostatistical analysis of a unique data set of tritium, noble gases and other isotopic analyses unprecedented in size at nearly 4000 samples.

The correlation length of key groundwater residence time parameters varies between tens of kilometers (³H; age) to the order of a hundred kilometers (⁴He_ter; ¹⁴C; ³He_trit). The correlation length of parameters related to climate, topography and atmospheric processes is on the order of several hundred kilometers (recharge temperature; δ¹⁸O). Young groundwater ages that highlight regional recharge areas are located in the eastern San Joaquin Valley, in the southern Santa Clara Valley Basin, in the upper LA basin and along unlined canals carrying Colorado River water, showing that much of the recent recharge in central and southern California is dominated by river recharge and managed aquifer recharge. Modern groundwater is found in wells with the top open intervals below 60 m depth in the southeastern San Joaquin Valley, Santa Clara Valley and Los Angeles basin, as the result of intensive pumping and/or managed aquifer recharge operations.

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Additional publication details
Publication type	Article
Publication Subtype	Journal Article
Title	Geostatistical analysis of tritium, groundwater age and other noble gas derived parameters in California
Series title	Water Research
DOI	10.1016/j.watres.2016.01.004
Volume	91
Year Published	2016
Language	English
Publisher	Elsevier
Contributing office(s)	California Water Science Center
Description	17 p.
First page	314
Last page	330
Country	United States
State	California
Google Analytic Metrics	Metrics page