Groundwater Science 101, TAGD Leadership Training, September 2014: George Ozuna

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U.S. Department of the InteriorU.S. Geological Survey

Introduction to Groundwater

George B. OzunaHydrologistUSGS Texas Water Science Center

Presentation

• Review Hydrologic Cycle• Focus on Groundwater• Discuss the Drought

Hydrologic Cycle

Evaporation

CondensationPrecipitation

Surface water

Infiltration

Transpiration

Groundwater

The Hydrologic Cycle

• Rainfall, snowfall, sleet, and hail are all forms of precipitation

Precipitation

Rainfall across Texas

Rainfall across Texas

Rainfall Distribution by Month

Source: National Weather Service

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

0.65 0.75

1.1

1.41

2.3

3.04

1.91 1.91

2.51

1.93

0.85 0.76

Monthly Lubbock Rainfall(1981-2010)

Inch

es

Rainfall across Texas

Rainfall Distribution by Month

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

1.62 1.70 1.81

2.68

3.59

3.09

2.23 2.35

3.38

2.83

2.051.75

San Antonio Monthly Rainfall(1871 - 2013)

Inch

es

Source: National Weather Service

Rainfall across Texas

Rainfall Distribution by Month

Source: National Weather Service

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

3.38 3.2 3.41 3.31

5.09

5.93

3.79 3.76

2.51

5.7

4.34

3.74

Monthly Houston Rainfall(1981-2010)

Inch

es

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Monthly Lubbock Rainfall

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

San Antonio Monthly Rainfall

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Monthly Houston Rainfall

Evaporation

CondensationPrecipitation

Surface water

Infiltration

Transpiration

Groundwater

The Hydrologic Cycle

Precipitation

Surface water

Surface Water Gaging Network

527 – Real-time Stream Gage Sites127 – Real-time Lake Sites

Surface Water

• Base flow is sustained or fair weather runoff. In most streams, base flow is composed largely of groundwater effluent.

USGS: Langbein and others, 1947, p. 6.

Precipitation

The Hydrologic Cycle

Evaporation

Transpiration

Surface water

Infiltration

Groundwater

What is an aquifer?

This is an aqua fur

• An aquifer is a rock which contains and transmits water in sufficient quantities

• Principal types of rocks through which water can move underground are sandstones, limestones, and igneous rocks.

Groundwater

Groundwater

Sandstone

Limestone

Groundwater

Aquifer Unit Geologic Formation

Upper

Upper Glen Rose Limestone

Lower Glen Rose Limestone

Middle

Hensel Sand

Cow Creek Limestone

Confining

Hammet Shale

Lower

Hosston/Sligo

Trinity Aquifer

Geophysical Logs

An Aquifer

A

A’

Unconfined vs Confined

A A’

Water Levels

Water Levels400 ft

350 ft

200 ft

150 ft

300 ft

200’

300’

400’

100’

Water-Level Maps

December 1999

Cone of Depression

Brackish Water

A A’

Brackish Water

Brackish Water

A A’

• Meteorological drought is the amount of dryness and the duration of the dry period. Atmospheric conditions that result in deficiencies of precipitation change from area to area

Meteorological

Drought

• Hydrological drought is associated with the effects of periods of precipitation shortages on water supply. Water in hydrologic storage systems such as reservoirs and rivers are often used for multiple purposes such as flood control, irrigation, recreation, navigation, hydropower, and wildlife habitat. Competition for water in these storage systems escalates during drought and conflicts between water users increase significantly.

Hydrological

Drought

• Agricultural drought mainly effects food production and farming. Agricultural drought and precipitation shortages bring soil water deficits, reduced ground water or reservoir levels, and so on. Deficient topsoil moisture at planting may stop germination, leading to low plant populations.

Agricultural

Drought

• Socioeconomic drought occurs when the demand for an economic good exceeds supply as a result of a weather-related shortfall in water supply. The supply of many economic goods, such as water, forage, food grains, fish, and hydroelectric power, depends on weather. Due to variability of climate, water supply is sufficient in some years but not satisfactory to meet human and environmental needs in other years.

Socioeconomic

Drought

Surface Water Gaging Network

527 – Real-time Stream Gage Sites127 – Real-time Lake Sites

Map of real-time streamflow compared to historical streamflow for the day of the year

Map of below normal 7-day average streamflow compared to historical streamflow for the day

Monthly Comparisons

Monthly Comparisons

Current Drought

State Climatologist John-Nielsen Gammon stated “…2011 was the driest year ever for Texas, with an average of only 14.8 inches of rain…The drought began in October 2010.”

Selected Surface Water Sites

Selected Surface Water Sites

Selected Surface Water Sites

Texas Rainfall Records

Time Rainfall Location Date15 minutes 3.95” Galveston June 4, 1871

2 hours 15.00” D’Hanis May 31, 1835

2 hours,15 min 22.00” D’Hanis May 31, 1835*

18 hours 36.40” Thrall Sep. 9, 1921

24 hours 43.00” Alvin July 25, 1979

Presentation

• Hydrologic Cycle Precipitation Surface Water

• Groundwater Types of Aquifers Confined vs unconfined Water Levels Brackish Water

Presentation

• Drought Meteorological Hydrologic Agriculture Socioeconomic

• tx.usgs.gov

Questions?Questions? George B. OzunaUSGS210.287.0304gbozuna@usgs.govtx.usgs.gov

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