Origin and recharge rates of alluvial ground waters, Eastern Desert, Egypt.
Stable isotope and tritium analyses of shallow ground waters in the Eastern Desert of Egypt showed that the waters were derived largely by evaporation of regional precipitation and at least partly from precipitation in the past 45 y. To estimate the ground water recharge rate, we developed an integrated hydrologic model based on satellite data, geologic maps, infiltration parameters, and spatial rainfall distribution. Modeling indicated that during a severe 1994 storm, recharge through transmission loss in Wadi El-Tarfa was 21% of the precipitation volume. From archival precipitation data, we estimate that the annual recharge rate for the El-Tarfa alluvial aquifer is 4.7 x 10{sup 6} m{sup 3}. Implications for the use of renewable ground waters in arid areas of Egypt and in neighboring countries are clear.
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Lab., IL (US)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- US Department of Energy (US)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-31-109-ENG-38
- OSTI ID:
- 795027
- Report Number(s):
- ANL/ER/CP-107299; TRN: US200210%%84
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: WRMiAR, Water Resources Management in Arid Regions, Safar (KW), 03/23/2002--03/27/2002; Other Information: PBD: 12 Apr 2002
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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