Groundwater Dynamic Characteristics with the Ecological Threshold in the Northwest China Oasis

Dongbo Li, Xiaolong Li, Xinlin He, Guang Yang, Yongjun Du and Xiaoqian Li
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Dongbo Li: College of Water and Architectural Engineering, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832000, China
Xiaolong Li: College of Water and Architectural Engineering, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832000, China
Xinlin He: College of Water and Architectural Engineering, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832000, China
Guang Yang: College of Water and Architectural Engineering, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832000, China
Yongjun Du: College of Water and Architectural Engineering, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832000, China
Xiaoqian Li: College of Water and Architectural Engineering, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832000, China

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 9, 1-21

Abstract: Suitable groundwater level is an important foundation for the stability of the ecological environment, and the healthy development of the social economy, in the arid area of Northwest China. The Manas River Basin is a typical oasis in an arid area, where the problems of salinization and desertification are prominent. By analyzing the variation characteristics of groundwater in the study area from 2013 to 2019 combined with remote sensing technology—according to the theory of capillary water rise and phreatic evaporation—a mathematical calculation model of the ecological threshold is established to determine the ecological groundwater level. The results show that (1) the groundwater level in the study area fluctuates by 0.2–18 m throughout the year, and the variation of groundwater drawdown is 5–35 m from 2013 to 2019; (2) the upper threshold of the ecological groundwater level is 0.82–4.05 m and the lower threshold is 3.35–10.23 m; (3) the ecological water shortage area in the study area is 9755.36 km 2 , and the groundwater ecological deficit is 105.741 × 10 8 m 3 . This study can provide a theoretical basis for the determination of the ecological groundwater level, the optimal allocation of water resources, and ecological environment management in the arid area of Northwest China.

Keywords: arid areas of Northwest China; groundwater; buried depth change; ecological groundwater level; ecological groundwater level threshold model; Manas River Basin (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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