Threshold Precipitation Events and Potential Ground-Water Recharge
Publication: Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Volume 122, Issue 10
Abstract
In this paper, the frequency of threshold precipitation events is discussed from the perspective of ground-water recharge in arid and semiarid environments of the Nevada Test Site (NTS). The terminology threshold precipitation refers to precipitation events resulting in the penetration of moisture approximately 1 m into the unsaturated zone at study sites on NTS. While it is not proved that this type of moisture penetration results in ground-water recharge, it is suggested that deep penetration does remove moisture from the atmospheric and surface components of the hydrologic cycle. Estimates of the frequency of episodic recharge events are important from the viewpoint of regional contaminant transport models and provide perspective on the length of precipitation record required to estimate recharge.
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Published In
Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Volume 122 • Issue 10 • October 1996
Pages: 573 - 578
Copyright
Copyright © 1996 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Published online: Oct 1, 1996
Published in print: Oct 1996
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