Groundwater Circulation Within the Mountain Block: Combining Flow and Transport Models With Magnetotelluric Observations to Untangle Its Nested Nature
Mountains are vital water sources for humans and ecosystems, continuously replenishing lowland aquifers through surface runoff and mountain recharge. Quantifying these fluxes and their relative importance is essential for sustainable water resource management. However, our mechanistic understanding...
Gespeichert in:
| Veröffentlicht in: | Water resources research 2024-04, Vol.60 (4), p.n/a |
|---|---|
| Hauptverfasser: | , , , , , |
| Format: | Artikel |
| Sprache: | eng |
| Schlagworte: | |
| Online-Zugang: | Volltext |
| Tags: |
Tag hinzufügen
Keine Tags, Fügen Sie den ersten Tag hinzu!
|
| container_end_page | n/a |
|---|---|
| container_issue | 4 |
| container_start_page | |
| container_title | Water resources research |
| container_volume | 60 |
| creator | Gonzalez‐Duque, D. Gomez‐Velez, J. D. Person, M. A. Kelley, S. Key, K. Lucero, D. |
| description | Mountains are vital water sources for humans and ecosystems, continuously replenishing lowland aquifers through surface runoff and mountain recharge. Quantifying these fluxes and their relative importance is essential for sustainable water resource management. However, our mechanistic understanding of the flow and transport processes determining the connection between the mountain block and the basin aquifer remains limited. Traditional conceptualizations assume groundwater circulation within the mountain block is predominantly shallow. This view neglects the role of deep groundwater flowpaths significantly contributing to the water, solute, and energy budgets. Overcoming these limitations requires a holistic characterization of the multiscale nature of groundwater flow along the mountain‐to‐valley continuum. As a proof‐of‐concept, we use a coupled groundwater flow and transport model to design a series of numerical experiments that explore the role of geology, topography, and weathering rates in groundwater circulation and their resulting resistivity patterns. Our results show that accumulating solutes near stagnation zones create contrasting electrical resistivity patterns that separate local, intermediate, and regional flow cells, presenting a target for magnetotelluric observations. To demonstrate the sensitivity of magnetotelluric data to features in our resistivity models, we use the MARE2DEM electromagnetic modeling code to perform forward and inverse simulations. This study highlights the potential of magnetotelluric surveys to image the resistivity structure resulting from multiscale groundwater circulation through relatively impervious crystalline basement rocks in mountainous terrains. This capability could change our understanding of the critical zone, offering a holistic perspective that includes deep groundwater circulation and its role in conveying solutes and energy.
Plain Language Summary
Mountains are vital water sources for humans and ecosystems, continuously replenishing lowland aquifers through surface runoff and mountain recharge. Quantifying these fluxes and their relative importance is essential for sustainable water resource management. Here, we present a novel approach to characterize the nested nature of groundwater flow along the mountain‐to‐valley continuum by combining flow and transport models and magnetotelluric (MT) geophysical surveys. We assess the approach’s potential by creating virtual realities that mimic realistic pa |
| doi_str_mv | 10.1029/2023WR035906 |
| format | Article |
| fullrecord | <record><control><sourceid>proquest_osti_</sourceid><recordid>TN_cdi_osti_scitechconnect_2331515</recordid><sourceformat>XML</sourceformat><sourcesystem>PC</sourcesystem><sourcerecordid>3153149880</sourcerecordid><originalsourceid>FETCH-LOGICAL-a3854-dda0f691cf6278d797d651fdc14458603e95ef4d0e33181f019f6e92f131c34f3</originalsourceid><addsrcrecordid>eNp90U9vFCEYBnBiNHGt3vwARC8eHIUBZgZvOrG1Sf8kmzZ7JBRedqmzsAXGTb9IP2-x68F48ETe5Pc-4cmL0FtKPlHSys8tadlqSZiQpHuGFlRy3vSyZ8_RghDOGspk_xK9yvmWEMpF1y_Qw0mKc7B7XSDh0SczT7r4GPDKl40PuGwAn1dRdB2-TdH8_ILHuL3xwYc1Pp7iHutg8VXSIe9iKhVbmPLTOj7X6wAlFpimOXmDL28ypF9P-RmXiK9rbFhPgE9LxheQC1h8ocuc4DV64fSU4c2f9whdH3-_Gn80Z5cnp-PXs0azQfDGWk1cJ6lxXdsPtna1naDOGsq5GDrCQApw3BJgjA7UESpdB7J1lFHDuGNH6N0hN-biVTa-gNmYGAKYotq6JKio6MMB7VK8m-s31dZnU0vpAHHOqipGuRwGUun7f-htnFOoFRQjXAjJh45W9fGgTIo5J3Bql_xWp3tFifp9SfX3JStnB773E9z_16rVcly2Pe04ewSMYaB2</addsrcrecordid><sourcetype>Open Access Repository</sourcetype><iscdi>true</iscdi><recordtype>article</recordtype><pqid>3045594861</pqid></control><display><type>article</type><title>Groundwater Circulation Within the Mountain Block: Combining Flow and Transport Models With Magnetotelluric Observations to Untangle Its Nested Nature</title><source>Wiley-Blackwell AGU Digital Library</source><source>Wiley Online Library Open Access</source><source>Wiley Online Library Journals Frontfile Complete</source><creator>Gonzalez‐Duque, D. ; Gomez‐Velez, J. D. ; Person, M. A. ; Kelley, S. ; Key, K. ; Lucero, D.</creator><creatorcontrib>Gonzalez‐Duque, D. ; Gomez‐Velez, J. D. ; Person, M. A. ; Kelley, S. ; Key, K. ; Lucero, D. ; Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)</creatorcontrib><description>Mountains are vital water sources for humans and ecosystems, continuously replenishing lowland aquifers through surface runoff and mountain recharge. Quantifying these fluxes and their relative importance is essential for sustainable water resource management. However, our mechanistic understanding of the flow and transport processes determining the connection between the mountain block and the basin aquifer remains limited. Traditional conceptualizations assume groundwater circulation within the mountain block is predominantly shallow. This view neglects the role of deep groundwater flowpaths significantly contributing to the water, solute, and energy budgets. Overcoming these limitations requires a holistic characterization of the multiscale nature of groundwater flow along the mountain‐to‐valley continuum. As a proof‐of‐concept, we use a coupled groundwater flow and transport model to design a series of numerical experiments that explore the role of geology, topography, and weathering rates in groundwater circulation and their resulting resistivity patterns. Our results show that accumulating solutes near stagnation zones create contrasting electrical resistivity patterns that separate local, intermediate, and regional flow cells, presenting a target for magnetotelluric observations. To demonstrate the sensitivity of magnetotelluric data to features in our resistivity models, we use the MARE2DEM electromagnetic modeling code to perform forward and inverse simulations. This study highlights the potential of magnetotelluric surveys to image the resistivity structure resulting from multiscale groundwater circulation through relatively impervious crystalline basement rocks in mountainous terrains. This capability could change our understanding of the critical zone, offering a holistic perspective that includes deep groundwater circulation and its role in conveying solutes and energy.
Plain Language Summary
Mountains are vital water sources for humans and ecosystems, continuously replenishing lowland aquifers through surface runoff and mountain recharge. Quantifying these fluxes and their relative importance is essential for sustainable water resource management. Here, we present a novel approach to characterize the nested nature of groundwater flow along the mountain‐to‐valley continuum by combining flow and transport models and magnetotelluric (MT) geophysical surveys. We assess the approach’s potential by creating virtual realities that mimic realistic patterns of subsurface electrical resistivity. Then, using an inverse modeling approach, we test the ability of different MT survey configurations to reconstruct the resistivity fields. Our analysis shows that the accumulation of solutes in subsurface low‐velocity zones (i.e., stagnation zones) results in resistivity fields with enough contrast to image the local, intermediate, and regional groundwater flow cells. While this study is conceptual in nature, we aim to offer a framework for geophysical exploration that can characterize the critical zone without neglecting deep groundwater circulation and its role in conveying solutes and energy.
Key Points
We use a coupled flow and transport model to explore the role of deep groundwater circulation in mountain‐to‐valley systems
Regional groundwater circulation conveys significant amounts of water, energy, and solutes through relatively impervious depths
Magnetotelluric surveys can potentially map the resistivity patterns created by the solute concentration patterns within the mountain block</description><identifier>ISSN: 0043-1397</identifier><identifier>EISSN: 1944-7973</identifier><identifier>DOI: 10.1029/2023WR035906</identifier><language>eng</language><publisher>Washington: John Wiley & Sons, Inc</publisher><subject>Accumulation ; Aquifers ; Basement rock ; basins ; Circulation ; Conveying ; critical zone ; Ecosystems ; electrical resistance ; Electrical resistivity ; Energy ; Energy budget ; ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES ; flow and transport ; Fluxes ; Geology ; Geophysical exploration ; Geophysical surveys ; Geophysics ; Groundwater ; Groundwater flow ; Image contrast ; Magnetotelluric methods ; magnetotellurics ; Modelling ; mountain hydrology ; Mountains ; Numerical experiments ; Recharge ; regional groundwater flow ; Resource management ; runoff ; Solutes ; Stagnation ; Surface runoff ; Surveys ; Sustainability ; topography ; Transport processes ; Valleys ; water management ; Water resources ; Water resources management ; Water sources ; Weathering</subject><ispartof>Water resources research, 2024-04, Vol.60 (4), p.n/a</ispartof><rights>2024. The Authors.</rights><rights>2024. This article is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.</rights><lds50>peer_reviewed</lds50><oa>free_for_read</oa><woscitedreferencessubscribed>false</woscitedreferencessubscribed><cites>FETCH-LOGICAL-a3854-dda0f691cf6278d797d651fdc14458603e95ef4d0e33181f019f6e92f131c34f3</cites><orcidid>0000-0003-0503-1845 ; 0000-0001-8045-5926 ; 0000-0003-1169-6683 ; 0000-0001-8328-283X ; 0000000311696683 ; 0000000180455926 ; 000000018328283X ; 0000000305031845</orcidid></display><links><openurl>$$Topenurl_article</openurl><openurlfulltext>$$Topenurlfull_article</openurlfulltext><thumbnail>$$Tsyndetics_thumb_exl</thumbnail><linktopdf>$$Uhttps://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1029%2F2023WR035906$$EPDF$$P50$$Gwiley$$Hfree_for_read</linktopdf><linktohtml>$$Uhttps://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029%2F2023WR035906$$EHTML$$P50$$Gwiley$$Hfree_for_read</linktohtml><link.rule.ids>230,314,776,780,881,1411,11493,11541,27901,27902,45550,45551,46027,46443,46451,46867</link.rule.ids><backlink>$$Uhttps://www.osti.gov/biblio/2331515$$D View this record in Osti.gov$$Hfree_for_read</backlink></links><search><creatorcontrib>Gonzalez‐Duque, D.</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Gomez‐Velez, J. D.</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Person, M. A.</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Kelley, S.</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Key, K.</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Lucero, D.</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)</creatorcontrib><title>Groundwater Circulation Within the Mountain Block: Combining Flow and Transport Models With Magnetotelluric Observations to Untangle Its Nested Nature</title><title>Water resources research</title><description>Mountains are vital water sources for humans and ecosystems, continuously replenishing lowland aquifers through surface runoff and mountain recharge. Quantifying these fluxes and their relative importance is essential for sustainable water resource management. However, our mechanistic understanding of the flow and transport processes determining the connection between the mountain block and the basin aquifer remains limited. Traditional conceptualizations assume groundwater circulation within the mountain block is predominantly shallow. This view neglects the role of deep groundwater flowpaths significantly contributing to the water, solute, and energy budgets. Overcoming these limitations requires a holistic characterization of the multiscale nature of groundwater flow along the mountain‐to‐valley continuum. As a proof‐of‐concept, we use a coupled groundwater flow and transport model to design a series of numerical experiments that explore the role of geology, topography, and weathering rates in groundwater circulation and their resulting resistivity patterns. Our results show that accumulating solutes near stagnation zones create contrasting electrical resistivity patterns that separate local, intermediate, and regional flow cells, presenting a target for magnetotelluric observations. To demonstrate the sensitivity of magnetotelluric data to features in our resistivity models, we use the MARE2DEM electromagnetic modeling code to perform forward and inverse simulations. This study highlights the potential of magnetotelluric surveys to image the resistivity structure resulting from multiscale groundwater circulation through relatively impervious crystalline basement rocks in mountainous terrains. This capability could change our understanding of the critical zone, offering a holistic perspective that includes deep groundwater circulation and its role in conveying solutes and energy.
Plain Language Summary
Mountains are vital water sources for humans and ecosystems, continuously replenishing lowland aquifers through surface runoff and mountain recharge. Quantifying these fluxes and their relative importance is essential for sustainable water resource management. Here, we present a novel approach to characterize the nested nature of groundwater flow along the mountain‐to‐valley continuum by combining flow and transport models and magnetotelluric (MT) geophysical surveys. We assess the approach’s potential by creating virtual realities that mimic realistic patterns of subsurface electrical resistivity. Then, using an inverse modeling approach, we test the ability of different MT survey configurations to reconstruct the resistivity fields. Our analysis shows that the accumulation of solutes in subsurface low‐velocity zones (i.e., stagnation zones) results in resistivity fields with enough contrast to image the local, intermediate, and regional groundwater flow cells. While this study is conceptual in nature, we aim to offer a framework for geophysical exploration that can characterize the critical zone without neglecting deep groundwater circulation and its role in conveying solutes and energy.
Key Points
We use a coupled flow and transport model to explore the role of deep groundwater circulation in mountain‐to‐valley systems
Regional groundwater circulation conveys significant amounts of water, energy, and solutes through relatively impervious depths
Magnetotelluric surveys can potentially map the resistivity patterns created by the solute concentration patterns within the mountain block</description><subject>Accumulation</subject><subject>Aquifers</subject><subject>Basement rock</subject><subject>basins</subject><subject>Circulation</subject><subject>Conveying</subject><subject>critical zone</subject><subject>Ecosystems</subject><subject>electrical resistance</subject><subject>Electrical resistivity</subject><subject>Energy</subject><subject>Energy budget</subject><subject>ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES</subject><subject>flow and transport</subject><subject>Fluxes</subject><subject>Geology</subject><subject>Geophysical exploration</subject><subject>Geophysical surveys</subject><subject>Geophysics</subject><subject>Groundwater</subject><subject>Groundwater flow</subject><subject>Image contrast</subject><subject>Magnetotelluric methods</subject><subject>magnetotellurics</subject><subject>Modelling</subject><subject>mountain hydrology</subject><subject>Mountains</subject><subject>Numerical experiments</subject><subject>Recharge</subject><subject>regional groundwater flow</subject><subject>Resource management</subject><subject>runoff</subject><subject>Solutes</subject><subject>Stagnation</subject><subject>Surface runoff</subject><subject>Surveys</subject><subject>Sustainability</subject><subject>topography</subject><subject>Transport processes</subject><subject>Valleys</subject><subject>water management</subject><subject>Water resources</subject><subject>Water resources management</subject><subject>Water sources</subject><subject>Weathering</subject><issn>0043-1397</issn><issn>1944-7973</issn><fulltext>true</fulltext><rsrctype>article</rsrctype><creationdate>2024</creationdate><recordtype>article</recordtype><sourceid>24P</sourceid><recordid>eNp90U9vFCEYBnBiNHGt3vwARC8eHIUBZgZvOrG1Sf8kmzZ7JBRedqmzsAXGTb9IP2-x68F48ETe5Pc-4cmL0FtKPlHSys8tadlqSZiQpHuGFlRy3vSyZ8_RghDOGspk_xK9yvmWEMpF1y_Qw0mKc7B7XSDh0SczT7r4GPDKl40PuGwAn1dRdB2-TdH8_ILHuL3xwYc1Pp7iHutg8VXSIe9iKhVbmPLTOj7X6wAlFpimOXmDL28ypF9P-RmXiK9rbFhPgE9LxheQC1h8ocuc4DV64fSU4c2f9whdH3-_Gn80Z5cnp-PXs0azQfDGWk1cJ6lxXdsPtna1naDOGsq5GDrCQApw3BJgjA7UESpdB7J1lFHDuGNH6N0hN-biVTa-gNmYGAKYotq6JKio6MMB7VK8m-s31dZnU0vpAHHOqipGuRwGUun7f-htnFOoFRQjXAjJh45W9fGgTIo5J3Bql_xWp3tFifp9SfX3JStnB773E9z_16rVcly2Pe04ewSMYaB2</recordid><startdate>202404</startdate><enddate>202404</enddate><creator>Gonzalez‐Duque, D.</creator><creator>Gomez‐Velez, J. D.</creator><creator>Person, M. A.</creator><creator>Kelley, S.</creator><creator>Key, K.</creator><creator>Lucero, D.</creator><general>John Wiley & Sons, Inc</general><general>American Geophysical Union (AGU)</general><scope>24P</scope><scope>AAYXX</scope><scope>CITATION</scope><scope>7QH</scope><scope>7QL</scope><scope>7T7</scope><scope>7TG</scope><scope>7U9</scope><scope>7UA</scope><scope>8FD</scope><scope>C1K</scope><scope>F1W</scope><scope>FR3</scope><scope>H94</scope><scope>H96</scope><scope>KL.</scope><scope>KR7</scope><scope>L.G</scope><scope>M7N</scope><scope>P64</scope><scope>7S9</scope><scope>L.6</scope><scope>OTOTI</scope><orcidid>https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0503-1845</orcidid><orcidid>https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8045-5926</orcidid><orcidid>https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1169-6683</orcidid><orcidid>https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8328-283X</orcidid><orcidid>https://orcid.org/0000000311696683</orcidid><orcidid>https://orcid.org/0000000180455926</orcidid><orcidid>https://orcid.org/000000018328283X</orcidid><orcidid>https://orcid.org/0000000305031845</orcidid></search><sort><creationdate>202404</creationdate><title>Groundwater Circulation Within the Mountain Block: Combining Flow and Transport Models With Magnetotelluric Observations to Untangle Its Nested Nature</title><author>Gonzalez‐Duque, D. ; Gomez‐Velez, J. D. ; Person, M. A. ; Kelley, S. ; Key, K. ; Lucero, D.</author></sort><facets><frbrtype>5</frbrtype><frbrgroupid>cdi_FETCH-LOGICAL-a3854-dda0f691cf6278d797d651fdc14458603e95ef4d0e33181f019f6e92f131c34f3</frbrgroupid><rsrctype>articles</rsrctype><prefilter>articles</prefilter><language>eng</language><creationdate>2024</creationdate><topic>Accumulation</topic><topic>Aquifers</topic><topic>Basement rock</topic><topic>basins</topic><topic>Circulation</topic><topic>Conveying</topic><topic>critical zone</topic><topic>Ecosystems</topic><topic>electrical resistance</topic><topic>Electrical resistivity</topic><topic>Energy</topic><topic>Energy budget</topic><topic>ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES</topic><topic>flow and transport</topic><topic>Fluxes</topic><topic>Geology</topic><topic>Geophysical exploration</topic><topic>Geophysical surveys</topic><topic>Geophysics</topic><topic>Groundwater</topic><topic>Groundwater flow</topic><topic>Image contrast</topic><topic>Magnetotelluric methods</topic><topic>magnetotellurics</topic><topic>Modelling</topic><topic>mountain hydrology</topic><topic>Mountains</topic><topic>Numerical experiments</topic><topic>Recharge</topic><topic>regional groundwater flow</topic><topic>Resource management</topic><topic>runoff</topic><topic>Solutes</topic><topic>Stagnation</topic><topic>Surface runoff</topic><topic>Surveys</topic><topic>Sustainability</topic><topic>topography</topic><topic>Transport processes</topic><topic>Valleys</topic><topic>water management</topic><topic>Water resources</topic><topic>Water resources management</topic><topic>Water sources</topic><topic>Weathering</topic><toplevel>peer_reviewed</toplevel><toplevel>online_resources</toplevel><creatorcontrib>Gonzalez‐Duque, D.</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Gomez‐Velez, J. D.</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Person, M. A.</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Kelley, S.</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Key, K.</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Lucero, D.</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)</creatorcontrib><collection>Wiley Online Library Open Access</collection><collection>CrossRef</collection><collection>Aqualine</collection><collection>Bacteriology Abstracts (Microbiology B)</collection><collection>Industrial and Applied Microbiology Abstracts (Microbiology A)</collection><collection>Meteorological & Geoastrophysical Abstracts</collection><collection>Virology and AIDS Abstracts</collection><collection>Water Resources Abstracts</collection><collection>Technology Research Database</collection><collection>Environmental Sciences and Pollution Management</collection><collection>ASFA: Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Abstracts</collection><collection>Engineering Research Database</collection><collection>AIDS and Cancer Research Abstracts</collection><collection>Aquatic Science & Fisheries Abstracts (ASFA) 2: Ocean Technology, Policy & Non-Living Resources</collection><collection>Meteorological & Geoastrophysical Abstracts - Academic</collection><collection>Civil Engineering Abstracts</collection><collection>Aquatic Science & Fisheries Abstracts (ASFA) Professional</collection><collection>Algology Mycology and Protozoology Abstracts (Microbiology C)</collection><collection>Biotechnology and BioEngineering Abstracts</collection><collection>AGRICOLA</collection><collection>AGRICOLA - Academic</collection><collection>OSTI.GOV</collection><jtitle>Water resources research</jtitle></facets><delivery><delcategory>Remote Search Resource</delcategory><fulltext>fulltext</fulltext></delivery><addata><au>Gonzalez‐Duque, D.</au><au>Gomez‐Velez, J. D.</au><au>Person, M. A.</au><au>Kelley, S.</au><au>Key, K.</au><au>Lucero, D.</au><aucorp>Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)</aucorp><format>journal</format><genre>article</genre><ristype>JOUR</ristype><atitle>Groundwater Circulation Within the Mountain Block: Combining Flow and Transport Models With Magnetotelluric Observations to Untangle Its Nested Nature</atitle><jtitle>Water resources research</jtitle><date>2024-04</date><risdate>2024</risdate><volume>60</volume><issue>4</issue><epage>n/a</epage><issn>0043-1397</issn><eissn>1944-7973</eissn><abstract>Mountains are vital water sources for humans and ecosystems, continuously replenishing lowland aquifers through surface runoff and mountain recharge. Quantifying these fluxes and their relative importance is essential for sustainable water resource management. However, our mechanistic understanding of the flow and transport processes determining the connection between the mountain block and the basin aquifer remains limited. Traditional conceptualizations assume groundwater circulation within the mountain block is predominantly shallow. This view neglects the role of deep groundwater flowpaths significantly contributing to the water, solute, and energy budgets. Overcoming these limitations requires a holistic characterization of the multiscale nature of groundwater flow along the mountain‐to‐valley continuum. As a proof‐of‐concept, we use a coupled groundwater flow and transport model to design a series of numerical experiments that explore the role of geology, topography, and weathering rates in groundwater circulation and their resulting resistivity patterns. Our results show that accumulating solutes near stagnation zones create contrasting electrical resistivity patterns that separate local, intermediate, and regional flow cells, presenting a target for magnetotelluric observations. To demonstrate the sensitivity of magnetotelluric data to features in our resistivity models, we use the MARE2DEM electromagnetic modeling code to perform forward and inverse simulations. This study highlights the potential of magnetotelluric surveys to image the resistivity structure resulting from multiscale groundwater circulation through relatively impervious crystalline basement rocks in mountainous terrains. This capability could change our understanding of the critical zone, offering a holistic perspective that includes deep groundwater circulation and its role in conveying solutes and energy.
Plain Language Summary
Mountains are vital water sources for humans and ecosystems, continuously replenishing lowland aquifers through surface runoff and mountain recharge. Quantifying these fluxes and their relative importance is essential for sustainable water resource management. Here, we present a novel approach to characterize the nested nature of groundwater flow along the mountain‐to‐valley continuum by combining flow and transport models and magnetotelluric (MT) geophysical surveys. We assess the approach’s potential by creating virtual realities that mimic realistic patterns of subsurface electrical resistivity. Then, using an inverse modeling approach, we test the ability of different MT survey configurations to reconstruct the resistivity fields. Our analysis shows that the accumulation of solutes in subsurface low‐velocity zones (i.e., stagnation zones) results in resistivity fields with enough contrast to image the local, intermediate, and regional groundwater flow cells. While this study is conceptual in nature, we aim to offer a framework for geophysical exploration that can characterize the critical zone without neglecting deep groundwater circulation and its role in conveying solutes and energy.
Key Points
We use a coupled flow and transport model to explore the role of deep groundwater circulation in mountain‐to‐valley systems
Regional groundwater circulation conveys significant amounts of water, energy, and solutes through relatively impervious depths
Magnetotelluric surveys can potentially map the resistivity patterns created by the solute concentration patterns within the mountain block</abstract><cop>Washington</cop><pub>John Wiley & Sons, Inc</pub><doi>10.1029/2023WR035906</doi><tpages>25</tpages><orcidid>https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0503-1845</orcidid><orcidid>https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8045-5926</orcidid><orcidid>https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1169-6683</orcidid><orcidid>https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8328-283X</orcidid><orcidid>https://orcid.org/0000000311696683</orcidid><orcidid>https://orcid.org/0000000180455926</orcidid><orcidid>https://orcid.org/000000018328283X</orcidid><orcidid>https://orcid.org/0000000305031845</orcidid><oa>free_for_read</oa></addata></record> |
| fulltext | fulltext |
| identifier | ISSN: 0043-1397 |
| ispartof | Water resources research, 2024-04, Vol.60 (4), p.n/a |
| issn | 0043-1397 1944-7973 |
| language | eng |
| recordid | cdi_osti_scitechconnect_2331515 |
| source | Wiley-Blackwell AGU Digital Library; Wiley Online Library Open Access; Wiley Online Library Journals Frontfile Complete |
| subjects | Accumulation Aquifers Basement rock basins Circulation Conveying critical zone Ecosystems electrical resistance Electrical resistivity Energy Energy budget ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES flow and transport Fluxes Geology Geophysical exploration Geophysical surveys Geophysics Groundwater Groundwater flow Image contrast Magnetotelluric methods magnetotellurics Modelling mountain hydrology Mountains Numerical experiments Recharge regional groundwater flow Resource management runoff Solutes Stagnation Surface runoff Surveys Sustainability topography Transport processes Valleys water management Water resources Water resources management Water sources Weathering |
| title | Groundwater Circulation Within the Mountain Block: Combining Flow and Transport Models With Magnetotelluric Observations to Untangle Its Nested Nature |
| url | https://sfx.bib-bvb.de/sfx_tum?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&ctx_enc=info:ofi/enc:UTF-8&ctx_tim=2025-02-19T02%3A57%3A31IST&url_ver=Z39.88-2004&url_ctx_fmt=infofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rfr_id=info:sid/primo.exlibrisgroup.com:primo3-Article-proquest_osti_&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:journal&rft.genre=article&rft.atitle=Groundwater%20Circulation%20Within%20the%20Mountain%20Block:%20Combining%20Flow%20and%20Transport%20Models%20With%20Magnetotelluric%20Observations%20to%20Untangle%20Its%20Nested%20Nature&rft.jtitle=Water%20resources%20research&rft.au=Gonzalez%E2%80%90Duque,%20D.&rft.aucorp=Oak%20Ridge%20National%20Laboratory%20(ORNL),%20Oak%20Ridge,%20TN%20(United%20States)&rft.date=2024-04&rft.volume=60&rft.issue=4&rft.epage=n/a&rft.issn=0043-1397&rft.eissn=1944-7973&rft_id=info:doi/10.1029/2023WR035906&rft_dat=%3Cproquest_osti_%3E3153149880%3C/proquest_osti_%3E%3Curl%3E%3C/url%3E&disable_directlink=true&sfx.directlink=off&sfx.report_link=0&rft_id=info:oai/&rft_pqid=3045594861&rft_id=info:pmid/&rfr_iscdi=true |